Red Velvet Dreams
by Silent Hopes
Summary: Robbie's been in love with Cat for a long time. Will they ever truly be together, or will their rollercoaster of happiness and heartache prove to be too much? Rated T for later chapters.
1. Just Another Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. I do, however, own a snuggie, and kind of regret buying one.**

Robbie POV

It's been a few weeks since I kissed her. Cat Valentine, the most beautiful and wonderfully amazing girl in the world. I guess it's pretty obvious that I like her, and I KISSED HER for goodness sake, but she still doesn't look at me. She's never brought it up once and treats me the same way as she did before. It's like she's completely forgotten, or just wrote it off as unimportant.

What have I ever done to deserve this? Okay, I'll admit, I'm not the coolest guy in the world, not even close. But she should at least acknowledge my feelings, right? Tell me how she feels. But, I guess running away was her answer. She just ran away, and took my heart with her.

I think I'm slowly getting it back, but it still hurts seeing her everyday at school, knowing she'll never see me as more than a friend. At least the kiss didn't mess up our friendship, I should be grateful for that at least.

"Robbie!"

Speak of the devil.

Cat came running up to me, wearing a cute white dress with flowery designs all over it, her red velvet hair falling over her shoulders as she looked up to me and smiled.

"Class is about to start! C'mon, we have to hurry!" She said as she grabbed my hand, practically dragging me to Sikowitz's class. Her hands are so small and soft, I can't help but feel myself blush a little.

We made it just in time, right as the bells chimed signaling for class to start. There were only two seats open, right in the front, and they were right next to each other. Today must be my lucky day!

"Alright, CLASS!" Sikowitz sauntered to the stage, coconut in hand, and dramatically turned to face his students. "Let us begin! I want you to… pair up! Once you have your partner, I will hand you a script, and you will perform it for the class in exactly one week. GO!"

He immediately sat down on the chair behind him and began sipping the coconut in his hand, eyeing his students intently.

I turn to Cat. "So… want to be my partner?"

"Okay!" She beamed at me. "I'll tell Sikowitz!"

She jumped up, and walked up to Sikowitz, where he grabbed two scripts from the top of pile next to him and handed it to her. She started to read it as she came back towards our seats, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's it about?" I ask, as she hands me my script. She doesn't answer as we both skim through the pages. Wow. So apparently I'm a businessman who cheats on his wife (Cat), and after she finds out she poisons him, then strangles him until he dies. Dark stuff. This is much better suited for Jade.

I look up to see what Cat thinks of the whole thing, and she's smiling at me.

"I never get to do anything like this! This will be fun!" She giggled. What a funny girl.

We start practicing our lines but class goes by quickly, and the bell chimes once more. Everyone turns to pick up their backpacks to go to their second class of the day, hustling out the door.

"Hey Cat," she's still next to me and turns around. "Do you want to practice more after school? We can drive to my place, and maybe grab some ice cream on the way."

She gasps. "Thank you, Robbie! That sounds wonderful!" She giggles. "I'll see you at lunch!" She turns and waves goodbye.

Needless to say, the rest of the day was uneventful. It wasn't until lunch that things got interesting. After I got my burrito from the Grub Truck, I made my way to our usual table to see Tori and Jade fighting. Again.

"It's not funny!" Tori groaned.

"Oh, yes it is." Jade was grinning from ear to ear.

"What's going on?" I asked as I set my food down next to Andre.

"Well, the lovebirds here," Jade motioned to Tori and Beck, "got a script in Sikowitz with two male roles. So Beck is now dating a man-child."

"I am not a man-child!" Tori snapped at her.

"C'mon, guys, settle down." Poor Beck. Having to deal with his ex and his current girlfriend on a daily basis must be exhausting.

"At least Andre and I have roles that fit our gender." Jade mumbled. More to herself than anything else, but it was still loud enough to make Tori upset.

Apparently Jade and Andre are playing a down-on-his-luck fisherman and his nagging wife. Thankfully Cat showed up before Jade and Tori could start fighting again, but by then we were just talking about homework for classes.

After lunch the minutes inched by, and I was so anxious during my last class that when the bell rang, I practically flew out the door to meet Cat at her locker. It was a few minutes before I saw her make her way towards me. I waved and she smiled, skipping over to me.

"Hey Cat. You ready?"

"Just a minute, let me get something out of my locker!"

She opened her backpack and arranged her books, pulling some out and putting some in. After she zipped up her bag, she slammed her locker shut and linked her arm in mine.

"Ready!" She chirped.

As we made our way to the parking lot, she hummed a tune and its melody made its way to my ears, making me grin.

Today is gonna be a good day.

**A/N: Please review! I'm a first time writer, so go a bit easy on me. Or don't. I'm a big girl, and big girls don't cry. But I have a box of tissues on standby just in case.**


	2. My Sweetest Poison

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. If I did, I would have been at Dan's party and hung out with a baby zebra all night. I hear those things are great at Scrabble.**

Robbie POV

"I'll have Strawberry, please!" Cat was standing on her tiptoes, pointing to the tub of ice cream she was referring to.

I was waiting by the register with my cup of Mint Chocolate Chip on the counter.

"That'll be $3.75, please."

I reach for my wallet and hand the cashier four dollars, and put the change she gives me into my pocket.

Cat is happily licking her cone as we sit down to eat.

I smile at her. "Are you enjoying that?"

She nods vigorously. "Yes! Thank you, Robbie! Are you sure you don't want me to pay?"

"No way, Cat. It's my treat."

She flashes me a huge smile, and I'm sure if we weren't already sitting down she would have hugged me. For now she just sits across from me, happily eating away at her cone.

We talk for a bit, and we're having a great time until-

_Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz!_

Cat pulls out her phone and reads a text, her brow furrowing.

"It's Jade." She looks up at me. "Can you wait here for a minute? I need to call her."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be here."

Cat walks outside, pearphone in one hand and ice cream cone in the other. I watch her through the glass walls our table is next to as she talks with Jade, and after ten minutes or so, she walks back in and plops into her seat.

"I'm sorry about that," Cat sighs. "Jade needed to talk to me about something."

"What was it?" I ask.

She lowers her head as she looks up at me. "I'm not allowed to tell you."

She looks like a little puppy dog and I can't help but smile. She takes that as a sign everything's alright and happily goes back to eating her Strawberry ice cream.

I have a feeling I know what Jade wanted to talk about. I sometimes catch her stealing glances at Tori and Beck in the hallways. Her expression is usually unreadable, but sometimes when they kiss, her mask cracks a little and you can see a flash of hurt cross her face. It reminds me that she's not some intimidating monster, but just another teenage girl.

It doesn't take long before we finish our dairy treats and start heading back to my house. The drive was nice, despite my car being such a clunker. The best part was having Cat in the passenger seat, singing to every song on the radio. I swear, she has one of the best voices at Hollywood Arts, and it baffles me how she is never given a solo.

I pull up in front of my house and fumble for my keys, so I can unlock the front door, before we're finally able to make our way inside.

"So…" I start, "should we go to my room to rehearse or…?"

"Yeah! We can go to your room!" She suddenly lowers her voice. "Should I let your parents know I'm here?"

"Nah. They're not here."

_They're never here. _I silently add.

"And even if they were, they wouldn't mind. They love you, Cat!"

She lets out a giggle, and practically skips up the stairs to my room. I'm glad I decided to clean my room this past weekend, it was such a mess before. I toss my backpack next to my desk and Cat places hers next to mine. We ruffle though our bags before pulling out our scripts and stand to face one another.

My bed takes up a good amount of space and is right in the center of my room, so we kinda just stay where we are, between my bed and my desk. I turn to see Cat staring at me.

"Where do you wanna start from?"

"Umm…" I flip through the pages. "Let's go from where we left off in class."

"Okay!"

I watch her skim over the script to find her spot until she looks up at me, signaling she's ready.

"Today was a rough day at the office again, Lisa," I read. "My boss is really getting on my case about this new project. He practically yelled at me in front of all my coworkers! But let me tell you, the next time he does, I will not take it lying down."

"I'm sure you'll take _her_ lying down." Cat growled.

"What was that, dear?"

"Nothing." She faked a smile. It didn't quite fit on the usually genuine Cat. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

I hesitate, like the script says. "No, not at all. Say, can you get me some brandy from the cupboard? I'd like a drink."

"Of course."

Cat pretends to grab a glass and fill it with brandy, then mimes grabbing a bottle from her pocket and emptying its contents into the glass. She hands it to me, and I hold the pretend glass, sipping the imagined drink.

"Thank you. Now I-"

I double over, slamming my glass on an imaginary counter and take a few steps backward, my bed stopping me from going back any further.

"What did you…?"

"You lied to me, Peter." Cat took a step closer. "I TRUSTED you. And you BETRAYED me!"

She raises one of her hands and lightly places it around my neck, while she reads her script from the other. She's so close to me now, and I pray she doesn't feel my pulse quicken.

"You've been sleeping around with some other woman, and now you will pay for causing me this humiliation." She leans in close, and I can smell the sweetness on her breath. It must have been the ice cream. I glance at her lips as she mouths the next words.

"Why, Peter? I-I loved you…" Tears start to brim her eyes as she takes another step forward and presses her hand a little harder against my throat. I lose balance and we fall backwards, onto the bed.

Cat gasps. "Robbie! Are you okay? I didn't mean to…" Her voice trails off but I can barely concentrate. She's practically lying on top of me with her face just inches away from mine. Her script is sprawled out on the floor and she's propped up on her elbow, while the hand she had on my throat is now pushing against my chest. She quickly pulls away and rolls off of me, sitting upright with her legs hanging off the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen…" She's fiddling with the ends of her red velvet hair and staring at the floor.

I take a deep breath to try and calm my heartbeat before I sit up.

"It's not your fault, I'm the one that lost balance." I let out a nervous laugh as I adjust my glasses. "So-"

Cat's ringtone goes off, LOUD, and I swear we both jump five feet.

"Hello?" She answers. "Really?... oh, um, okay… yeah, I'll be right down."

She turns to face me. "Jade's outside, so… I'd better get going."

Cat picks her script off the ground and slings her backpack over her shoulder.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Robbie?"

"Yeah! Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

She smiles to me as she leaves my doorway, and I can hear her going down the stairway before the front door opens and shuts.

Immediately, I turn and bury my face in my pillow.

_I'm such an idiot._

**A/N: Ha HA! Two uploads in two days! Nobody said I could do it, but I DID! Well, nobody said I couldn't either, but that's beside the point...**

**Reviews are very much appreciated! I get all weird and bubbly whenever I get one, so I'm sure my roommate thinks I'm going crazy. Too bad for her, that happened a long time ago :)**


	3. Cupcakes for Cat

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. Only in my dreams. Just like my ability to fly.**

**A/N: From this point on, just assume it's Robbie POV. If it's not I'll put whoever's POV it is at the top. Mkay? Mkay. Glad that's all cleared up :)**

Well, needless to say, the bed incident was never brought up again. The day after it happened there were a few awkward moments between us, but now everything has pretty much gone back to the way it was. I'm not sure whether to be thankful the awkwardness is gone or frustrated that nothing happened between us.

Speaking of which, Sikowitz is really challenging us this time with these scenes! There are more pages than I'm used to, and since there are only two characters per script there's a lot of dialogue to memorize between us. Not that I'm complaining. Cat and I have been rehearsing every day after school these past few days, and we always end up doing something fun together to de-stress. We usually go out and grab something to eat, like smoothies or fro-yo. I have to keep reminding myself it's not a date, no matter how much it seems like one.

I'm waiting by Cat's locker, where I usually meet her after school. I pull out my pearphone and start playing Grumpy Gerbils while I wait. I can never get past level 23, and I'm desperate to move onto the higher levels.

I suddenly feel two hands cover my eyes from behind me, and hear a familiar high pitched voice.

"Guess who?"

I can't help but smile. "Is it… Cat?"

The hands remove themselves as I turn around to see my favorite redhead.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I always know when it's you, Cat."

She giggles, and I think I saw her blush. I pocket my phone as we make our way to my car to begin our after school routine, and once again I get to listen to her sing her heart out to the radio. I could listen to her sing all day.

She jumps out of the car as soon as I park, and we enter the house, going straight to my room. We rehearse for a bit, and today we're almost completely off script! I still get nervous during the choking bit, but Cat's acting keeps getting better and better! I just hope I'm able to keep up.

After a while we decide to take a break from rehearsing, and move onto other homework. She pulls out her algebra homework, since she always seems to have trouble with it and I can help explain it to her. She is NOT a numbers person.I guess I owe my math skills to my dad. Not that he's ever taken time to help me, math is just in my genes. He's one of the top accountants for several business firms, and whenever they need financial help, they usually ask for him. He rarely turns down a job, so he's always at the office.

We get halfway through before she puts her head in her hands and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"This is too hard…"

"You're getting it, Cat!" I try to encourage her. "Look, you only have a few more problems to go!"

"But my brain hurts…" She turns to me with her sad puppy dog eyes. "Can't we go out now? I don't want to work anymore."

This time, I'm prepared.

"Wait right here!" I tell her. "And uh… don't open your eyes until I say so."

She looks confused but does as I say, then I run downstairs to the kitchen and open the refrigerator. I pull out my masterpiece from the night before. Red velvet cupcakes, with cream cheese frosting spread perfectly over each one. I shut the fridge and carry the tray upstairs until I'm standing right in front of Cat.

"Okay. You can open your eyes!"

She sees what I'm holding, and immediately jumps up and hugs me.

"Whoa Cat, careful!" I laugh out, but wrap an arm around her. "I don't want to drop these!"

"Robbie, this is so sweet of you! Thank you!"

She pulls away from me to grab a cupcake, then takes a bite.

"Mmmm! This is delicious! Did you make these?"

"Yes indeed!"

"Well they're wonderful! This is wonderful."

We sit on the floor, and together we eat almost the entire batch! For such a small girl, she sure can put it away.

"Hey Robbie," Cat licked the frosting off her next cupcake. "Why did you decide to make these?"

"Well, I, um…" _Should I tell her?_ "I just… thought you'd really like them."

"I do!" She took a bite. "Nobody ever does things like this for me."

I feel like telling her. I want to tell her. I'm going to tell her.

My mouth opens, but before I can say anything-

The front door slams. "Robbie, I'm home!"

**A/N: WHAT? Nooo! Robbie was about to confess his love! Stupid parents ruining everything...**

**Reviews are welcomed with open arms. They are fed three times daily and given lots of exercise, so you can rest assured that every review in my care is happy and well cared for.**


	4. Black Ties and White Lies

**Disclaimer: I own Victorious. Wait... I'm getting a note from my fact checker. Oh. Turns out I DON'T own Victorious. Well, damn.**

_Mom's here?_

I check the clock.

_It's only 5:30! She's never home before 9!_

The sound of her heels clacking as she climbs the stairs echo through the house. She makes her way down the hall before standing outside my room, leaning against the doorframe. She's dressed stunningly, as usual. It's basically a job requirement since she's an editor for HotSpot magazine.

"Hello Robbie. And Cat! Robbie didn't say you'd be here!"

"Hi Mrs. Shapiro!" Cat held up her cupcake. "Look what Robbie made!"

Mom looks at me and gives me a smirk.

"Well, that was nice of him. Wait, how many did you eat?"

She's eyeing the cupcake wrappers in my trash bin and frowns.

"Robbie, you're going to spoil your appetite. We're going to a banquet tonight for one of your father's firms. Didn't you remember?"

"Oh, geez, I totally forgot! I'll drive Cat home right now."

I get up and grab my keys, and Cat's started putting her binders away in her bag.

"Alright, but drive fast! The event starts at 6:30 and you need to look nice. We're meeting your father there, so it will look bad if we're late."

She turns to leave and starts toward the master bedroom. Once Cat has everything together, we rush out and begin driving to her house.

After a few minutes into the drive, I feel the need to apologize.

"Sorry about that."

"About what?"

"About practically kicking you out of my house!"

"It's okay. I needed to be home by 7 tonight, anyway."

I turn to see Cat staring out her window. I think she saw my head turn and she faces me and smiles.

"Don't worry about it! I'm fine, really!"

"Okay, okay!" I laugh.

It's not long until I pull in front of her house and she pops out of the car, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Robbie!"

She slams the door and I watch her walk up the driveway and into her home before peeling away. I make it home with minutes to spare.

"Robbie!" Mom calls me from upstairs. "I laid out some clothes for you to wear on your bed!"

I run to my room and sure enough, a white button down shirt, black blazer and black slacks were placed neatly on the edge of my bed. I quickly change into them and rush to the bathroom to brush out my hair.

Mom suddenly appears behind me and straightens my collar. I notice she changed out of her other clothes and is wearing a nice midnight blue evening gown with matching jewelry. I hate that I know the specifics. Most guys would just say a long dark blue dress. Guess that's what happens when your mom works in fashion.

"Well don't you look handsome!" She rests her hands on my shoulders and looks at me through the mirror.

"When did you stop being a little boy?"

"A while ago."

"Well stop growing!" She squeezes my shoulders. "Makes me feel old!"

I smile and we head down the stairs before taking my mom's car to the banquet. I've been to plenty of Dad's office parties before and let me tell you, there's a long list of things I'd rather be doing. A LONG list of things. We hang around, make small talk with people I don't know or don't particularly care for, and eat appetizers before sitting down at big round tables to be served our food. Not very thrilling. I'd be just as happy, if not happier, simply ordering pizza at home.

Once we get to the hotel the event is being held, we're led to the banquet hall and it's just like I expected. A bunch of old businessmen and their wives, with the occasional bored-looking teenager. Most of them look to be in middle school. That's just great. Mom moves forward to look for Dad, but is instead sucked into a conversation with an older couple.

I scan the crowds for someone my own age to talk to, when I suddenly hear a voice next to me.

"Hey."

I turn around to see none other than Jade West standing beside me. She's wearing a black one shouldered cocktail dress and I hate to say it, but she looks amazing.

"I didn't know you'd be here." She says. "Your dad work here?"

"Yeah. He does financial stuff."

"Ah." She takes a sip from the clear plastic cup in her hand. It looks like punch.

"How about you? Does your dad work here?" I ask her.

She scrunches her face. "Yeah. He told me if I came and didn't cause any trouble he'd give me a $50 gift card to JetBrew. I don't know if it's worth it, spending the night with a bunch of boring businesspeople. It's bad enough when he makes me spend time with my stepmom and her yappy little dog."

"At least you're getting something out of it."

"Whatever." She takes another sip of punch and looks out at the party. "This place is dull. You should have brought Rex. He could have stirred things up and made this party waaay more interesting."

I blink at her. "I thought that you hated Rex! And now that you mention it, I haven't had him around in a while."

After the Cow-Wow, he made fun of me so much I put him in the closet. I picked him up a few times after that but he wouldn't stop teasing me about Cat, so I just got fed up and kept him there. I hadn't realized how long I'd been without him until now. It's been weeks.

"I do, and you're better off without him. I'm just bored out of my skull here." She suddenly turns to me. "Let's ditch this place."

"But what about your JetBrew?"

She shrugs. "Eh. Not worth it. So you in?"

I look over to see my parents on the far side of the room, chatting with his boss.

"Well… we can't just _leave. _My dad needs me and-"

"Your dad's a big boy. He can do this without you."

I look over at Jade to see her staring at me, her eyebrows arched. I decide to give in, and just roll with it. He always lets me do my own thing at these kinds of events, anyway.

"Okay, fine." I smile. "Why not?"

She smirks. "Good boy."

We're able to sneak out of the place without raising any suspicions. Turns out the hotel is pretty close to downtown. We stumble across a local bakery, and we agree it looks like a good place to stop. Jade picks out a chocolate éclair to buy with a cup of coffee while I just get a glazed apple Danish. We sit at a small table off to the side, and I discover I'm having a surprisingly good time hanging out with her.

"Okay, so I have a question." Her blue eyes are focused on mine. "Your parents have good jobs with good money, right?"

I nod.

"So why do you drive that junk heap you call a car when they can buy you something that isn't a total embarrassment?"

I swallow the bit of Danish in my mouth. "Well, my dad says he want me to earn what I own, since that's what he had to do himself. If I want my name on the car's register, I have to buy it with my own money. That's what I wanted, so I got a job and bought my own car."

"That's stupid."

I choke back a laugh, but she notices and narrows her eyes at me.

"I'm serious! What kind of parent won't buy their own damn kid a car if they-"

She stops mid-sentence and stares out the window behind me. I turn around to see what she's so focused on, and it makes my stomach drop.

There's a guy walking with his arm around what appears to be his girlfriend, but that's not what bothers me. This girl has bright red hair. Cat Valentine's hair. They stop and she turns to face him, and I see the face of the girl who was in my bedroom not even two hours ago. He leans down and kisses her. She smiles into it, and once they break apart he opens the door to his car and she slides in. He walks to the driver's side, gets in, and the car pulls out and drives away. I'm still staring at the empty space long after they've gone. It's not until I hear Jade's voice again that I come back to reality.

"Robbie… I'm so sorry."

**A/N: Please review! Every time you write a review, an angel gets its wings. Or something like that.**


	5. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. If I did, you know I'd go all ninja on the Nickelodeon execs to keep it on the air. Then I'd be in jail and unable to write fanfics like this.**

Cat POV

Yay! It's Friday!

I hop out of bed and open my closet to pick out what I want to wear today. Hmm… I like this one! It's a pretty pink dress with white polka dots all over it. I quickly change into it before I go to the bathroom to start putting on my make-up.

Hee hee! I can't help but giggle just thinking about last night! Robbie made me cupcakes, and Russell took me out to ice cream and a movie! How did I ever get to be this lucky?

I go downstairs to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Everybody says so, so it must be true. I open the fridge to grab some bread for toast. I plop the loaf of bread on the counter, and go to shut the refrigerator door when I my mom enters the room. She looks terrible. Again.

"Cat, make me a smoothie. My head is throbbing like crazy."

Her smoothies. Her hangover remedies that she taught me ages ago. I don't like it when she drinks, and I've told her that, but she doesn't listen. She didn't used to be this bad, but she started drinking after Dad died. I was eight. She's been getting worse recently, and I don't know why. I still miss him, he could make her better.

"Cat, make me a damn smoothie!"

I jump. I didn't realize I was just standing there. I quickly grab the ingredients and prepare them to put in the blender. The loud whirring noise makes my mom groan and rest her forehead on the table where she's sitting. I put my bread in the toaster before checking to see the blend. It looks ready, so I pour it in a cup and place it in front of my mom.

"It's done." I whisper.

She grabs the cup and starts downing it, a grimace on her face. My toast is ready, so I start spreading jelly on it. I pick strawberry today, cuz it's my favorite. I look up to see my mom finishing her drink, and she slams it on the table.

"Cat, call Andy for me. Ask him to pick me up for work today, I'm in no mood to drive."

Andy is mom's current boyfriend. His real name's Andrew, but he insisted on being called Andy. He's stuck around longer than the others, but I don't like him. He's a little weird.

I pull out my phone and call him up. After a few rings he answers.

"Hello, Cat. Why did you call?"

"Oh, well, my mom needs a ride to work today. Can you pick her up?"

"Yes, of course. Will you still be there?"

"No, I have school today. I should be leaving pretty soon. Why?"

"I just like hanging out with you."

"Oh, okay. Um… bye."

"Bye, Cat."

I hang up the phone. He tries too hard. I guess dating a mom you need to get to know the kids, but I still think he's weird.

After I finish eating my breakfast, I make sure I have everything I need for school.

_HONK! HONK!_

That must be Jade! I put on my backpack, before leaning my head into the kitchen.

"Bye mom! I'm going to school!"

She gives a dismissive wave before I head outside, and jump into Jade's car.

We drive off, and I turn on the radio. I like driving with Robbie, he lets me sing. Jade has a "no talking" rule for when she drives, which includes singing. I can only talk when Jade talks. Which is usually never.

"Cat. I need to ask you something."

Yay!

"What is it?" I could hear the happiness in my own voice.

"Who was the guy you were with last night?"

Huh? I never told Jade about Russell. I wanted to keep it a secret until I was ready.

"How did you know I was with a guy last night?"

"I saw you with him downtown. He kissed you, and you didn't seem to mind." She paused. "Robbie saw, too."

My stomach felt…weird. Why should this bother me so much?

"You were with Robbie?"

"Yeah. There was this office party banquet thing. Long story." We're at a red light, so she turns to look at me. "You know Robbie likes you. You told me about the kiss. It took all night to calm you down, you were practically hyperventilating."

Right. I remember that.

Jade continues. "So the real question is, why are you hiding this boyfriend of yours? Is it because of Robbie?"

"No! I just… it's just… I don't know…" I drop my hands into my lap, and stare down at them. "Robbie's sweet, and funny, and wonderful and all. He's just… Robbie. I wasn't trying to hide Russell from anyone. I'm sorry. And besides, Robbie's one of my best friends, it'd be weird."

We're driving again.

"So you like him." Jade concludes.

"No! We're just friends! I don't like him like that! And I have Russell!"

"Okay, fine! Don't have to get all defensive!" Jade pulls into the parking lot. "I just don't like it when you keep secrets. We're supposed to be best friends."

I lower my voice. "Are you mad at me?"

Jade sighs. "No, Cat, I'm not mad. Just… tell us about Russell during lunch."

I nod. "Okay…"

"But tell Robbie first. He deserves that much, after what happened last night."

"What do you mean?"

"Cat, we all know he likes you. And you've been telling me how sweet he's been to you this past week, since you've been rehearsing together every day after school. The least you can do is tell him you're taken, even though he already knows now, so he can stop making a fool of himself."

"Robbie's not making a fool-"

"Cat, you're stringing him along. Let him go, so he can find a girl that actually wants to go out with him."

The thought makes my blood boil. Why? He's my friend, he should date whoever he wants. I don't care.

"C'mon, Cat let's get going. We're gonna be late for class."

We climb out of her car and walk to Sikowitz's. Fridays are supposed to be fun, but I have a feeling today won't be.

**A/N: If you review, I'll give you a virtual hug! If not, well, no virtual hug for you. Poopyheads.**

**Seriously though, I got some pretty good feedback last chapter. Let me know what I'm doing that's awesome so I can build off of it. And if something's not so awesome, tell me that too. Your reviews help steer this ship. I kinda know where I'm going, but I'm mostly making it up as I go along.**


	6. Little Talks

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. I'm too poor to own anything that nice. I'm gonna pop some tags, cuz I've only got $20 in my pocket.**

Cat POV

I try to keep up with Jade as she marches ahead of me, and soon we pass through the double doors and into the halls of Hollywood Arts. We stop in front of her locker and she suddenly turns to face me.

"There's Robbie right over there." She sticks her thumb out pointing behind her.

I peek over her shoulder and sure enough, Robbie is right there, chatting with Andre.

"Hey Jade?" I whisper.

"What?"

"Why are you being so nice to Robbie? I thought you only tolerated him."

She freezes. I don't think she was expecting that.

"Look. I saw how hurt he was when he saw you kiss… Russell, was it?"

I nod.

"When he saw you kiss Russell. And, well, I guess I can relate."

Jade was staring at something and I wanted to see what she was looking…oh. It's Beck and Tori. She still likes Beck. I turn back to Jade, and she is glaring at me.

"If you tell anyone I said that, I WILL disown you."

Hehe! There's my Jade.

"Okay. I'll go talk to Robbie." I walk over to where Andre, Robbie, Beck and Tori are standing.

"Hey, Cat!"

"'Sup, Lil Red?"

"Morning, Cat!"

"Hi everyone!" I notice Robbie didn't greet me and he's usually the first. Phoo. I guess I really do need to talk with him.

"Robbie, I want to talk to you about something." I grab his hand and start dragging him to the janitor's closet.

"I'll see you all later!" I shout to everyone behind me. They look confused, but they smile and wave goodbye anyway.

We're in the closet now, and I close the door.

"What is it, Cat?"

I turn to face Robbie, and he's staring at me with his hands in his pockets.

_I had leaned in close to him and we suddenly fell down on his bed. My script flew out of my hands and is probably lying on the floor somewhere. I'm practically lying on top of him and his face is just inches from mine. I'm able to hold myself up with my elbow, and my hand is pushing on his chest. I can feel his heartbeat. He's so close I could-_

"Cat?"

I snap back into reality. Why did I remember that now? And why am I blushing? I look down hoping he doesn't notice the red in my cheeks.

"Oh, well… I wanted to tell you something."

I pause, but it doesn't feel like he's going to respond, so I keep going.

"I have a boyfriend." I feel like my face has calmed down, so I peek up at him. He's still staring at me, but his expression is unreadable.

"His name is Russell, and I really like him and… I'm sorry. I know I should have told you sooner, because of… things. I hope you're not mad?"

"Cat, why would I be mad?"

Huh?

"We were never a couple, and you made it pretty clear a while back we were just friends. You don't owe me anything."

I search his face for some kind of clue as to what he's thinking. I'm so confused. And relieved.

"So you're okay?"

"Yes, Cat, I'm okay."

I could jump for joy I'm so happy! Robbie's one of my best friends and I was worried I had ruined that, but he's okay!

"Hee hee! I'm really glad! Okay, I'll see you in Sikowitz! I gotta talk to Jade"

I leave the closet and skip over to where Jade's standing. I can't wait to tell her the good news!

Robbie POV

I watched Cat leave, the door closing slowly behind her, and I hear it click shut. I back into the wall behind me, and just lean there for a while.

It took all night to sort out my feelings and bury them. If I hadn't done that, I'm not sure what I would have said just now. I knew she didn't like me that way, but seeing her with another guy… it hurt. I thought I was getting over her, but I still kept that hope, still dared to get closer. It's nobody's fault but my own.

I slowly make my way to Sikowitz's class and sit in the back with the "shruggers". It's what our group calls the kids who just sit and react to everything. They do a lot of shoulder shrugging, hence the nickname. Plus they don't talk much, and frankly, I feel like being one of them today.

The bells chime, signaling class to start, and Sikowitz is late, as usual. When he finally comes in, he saunters to the stage and looks out at the class. His eyes land on me and he has a look of confusion on his face.

"ROBBIE!" He's practically shouting. "What are you doing all the way back there?"

I shrug. Because I'm a shrugger today.

"No matter." Sikowitz makes his way to me and hands me a hall pass. "Mrs. Costa requested your assistance for her theatrical makeup class."

This totally throws me off. "Why? I don't even take that class."

"I don't know. But she specifically asked for your assistance so I advise it is best you go."

I look around to see everyone is staring at me. My eyes lock with Cat's and I'm immediately inspired to leave. I grab my bag and leave the room, heading upstairs to Mrs. Costa's classroom. I've been in here a few times before, and it always makes me feel a little out of place. A counter is built into the walls, and above them are individual mirrors framed by light bulbs, with chairs tucked under each mirror. It's probably the most well lit room in Hollywood Arts. And not a classroom you'd see in any high school except this one.

There's a long set of tables right down the middle of the room and it's covered in Styrofoam heads, each with its own wig. Mrs. Costa and a bunch of girls are all sitting on stools next to the tables, each handling their own wig. Mrs. Costa is so focused on fixing hers that I don't think she even knows I'm here. I clear my throat and she suddenly looks up.

"Robbie! Thank you for coming! I'm sorry for pulling you out of class but I really need your help." She puts her wig back on the fake head and makes her way over to me.

As far as teachers go, she looks nothing like one. She's younger than a lot of the other faculty members, she tends to change her hair color and style every few months, and she has a sleeve of tattoos on the upper half of her right arm. Right now her hair is a platinum blonde with the ends dyed lavender, and she's wearing a black tank top with matching black jeans and shoes.

"We got a donation of human hair wigs a while back, and we've just unloaded them, but they're all tangled and impossible to deal with. I was planning on working with them today, and I want to stick to that plan. I don't trust beginners with expensive products like this so I've called a few of my more advanced students, but I've heard that you're really good with wigs."

I nod slowly. "I've been told that, yes."

"Then why aren't you taking my class?" I think she saw the confusion on my face, and she smiles. "I'm just teasing you. Now come over here and help us. I have a class next period and want this whole mess sorted out before then."

She returns to her stool and I walk over to the table to sit on one myself. I grab one of the bristle brushes on the table and begin working on one of the wigs when the girl next to me starts talking.

"How'd you get so good with wigs without taking the class?"

"Huh?" I look up to see a girl with sandy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. The lighting of the room reflects off of her clear blue eyes and she's looking at me with intensity, but not in a mean way. Just, you know. Intently. Like I'm a unicorn or something. Might as well be, I'm the only guy in the room. I look back down at my wig and keep working.

"Well, my mom works in the fashion industry, and when I was younger she'd take me to her work. She tended to let me wander the building, and one day I discovered the wig room. The woman in charge saw me playing with them and taught me how to handle them properly. Every time after that, I'd always go straight to her. She called me her 'little assistant.'" I chuckle at the memory.

"That's really cool! I'm Skylar, by the way."

"I'm Robbie."

"I know. I sit behind you in history."

"Oh. I… I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. Anderson doesn't give us much opportunity to talk in that class, anyway."

I feel like there's an awkward pause between us, and I can hear some of the other girls chatting farther down the table. I grab some product to smooth out the frizz at the end of the hair, and Skylar takes another stab at conversation.

"So where does your mom work?"

"She works for HotSpot magazine."

I hear her gasp and I lift my head up. Skylar's eyes look to be the size of saucers.

"I LOVE HotSpot magazine! Wait… You're Robbie Shapiro so… is your mom Anna Shapiro?"

"Yeah." I smile at her. Not many people take the time to memorize the names of magazine editors. Mom'll be thrilled.

Skylar goes on describing her favorite articles in the magazine and her opinions on the latest make-up and fashion trends. I can't stop smiling. Mom is DEFINITELY hearing about this. I think I just found her number one fan.

**A/N: See that box below? It's for you to put your reviews in. It's quite a nice box. Maybe you should write something in it. You might win a prize! It's never happened before, but it's possible, right? Review!**


	7. Food Fight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, but Victorious has claimed my heart. I'm still in the middle of a lawsuit for full custody, because it's getting kinda hard to live without a central blood-pumping organ.**

Cat POV

I wonder what happened to Robbie. It's weird that he got called out of class like that, especially by a teacher he doesn't have. I want to ask him, but the only class we have together is Sikowitz. Good thing it's lunch now, so I can ask him!

I rush for the Grub Truck and get some ravioli. I love them! They're like little pasta pillows. Jade doesn't order them anymore since that one kid got food poisoning, but they're soooo good!

I walk over to our table, and Tori and Andre are already there. I can hear Andre talking.

"I'm telling you, pizza is where it's at."

Tori throws her hands in the air. "But sushi is delicious! Plus, it's healthier!"

I put my food down and Tori turns to me.

"Cat, tell Andre that sushi is better than pizza."

"Nah, Cat, you know pizza's superior to sushi."

But I like both! How can I choose?

"You know what would be really good?" I ask. "If they made sushi pizza! They can call it sushza! Or pushi!"

I start giggling as I take a bite of my ravioli. Tori and Andre just stare at me, and Andre kind of shakes his head. They don't like my answer, but I think it's a good idea! Doesn't it sound yummy?

Beck walks up behind Tori. "Hey cutie."

He kisses her on the head and sits next to her, placing a sandwich in front of her then taking a bite of his own. "So what's new with you guys?"

Andre nods at Tori. "Your girlfriend here is trying to tell me that sushi, in all terms and purposes, is better than pizza."

Beck takes another bite of his sandwich, and I can tell he's thinking.

"Pizza." Jade pops up from behind me. "Pizza is better."

Tori glares at her, then Beck swallows and finally speaks up.

"Normally I'd say pizza is better, but I don't know. I've really been eating more sushi than pizza lately, and I think… I think I'll have to cast my vote towards sushi."

"Figures you'd side with Tori." Jade sneers.

"Okay, so that's two votes for pizza and two votes for sushi." Tori picks up her sandwich and starts eating.

"What about Cat?" Jade asks.

"I like pushi!"

Jade gives me a weird look.

"Cat likes pizza and sushi. So she wants pushi." Andre clarifies.

"Ah." Jade takes a sip of her coffee.

"We need a tie-breaker. Where's Robbie?" Tori stands up and starts looking around.

That's weird. Robbie is usually pretty quick in getting here. I start looking around, too.

"There he is!" Tori points toward the Grub Truck, and I can see he's standing in line, talking to some girl. She's laughing and playfully pushes him, and he smiles at her.

"Well, well, well! Robbie's making some new friends!" Tori playfully remarks. I see out of the corner of my eye that she sat back down, but I don't take my eyes off of Robbie and that girl. Who is she?

I see they've gotten their food, and she waves at him as she walks away. Robbie makes his way toward the table and he hasn't even sat down before Tori asks, "So… who's your new friend?"

Robbie's face goes a little red. "You saw that?"

"Yeah, man. It's good though! We're just curious as to who she is." Beck adds.

"Well, her name's Skylar. She was one of the students called to help out with a wig problem Mrs. Costa had. That's what I was taken out of class for."

"Well, you are the wig master." Andre says. "It makes sense."

"She seems nice!" Tori has a gleam in her eyes. I know what she's thinking.

"Yeah, she is." Robbie nods. "She's a big fan of my mom's work, so I'll try to get them together at some point. I know Skylar'd love to talk to her, and my mom always loves new ideas. And compliments. She definitely loves compliments." He grins.

"All girls like compliments. It's a scientific fact." Andre takes a bit of one of his fries and looks around the table.

"Hey Robbie!" I pipe up. " Are we still rehearsing today after school?"

He shakes his head. "Not today, Cat. I have work."

Phooey.

Beck looks up from his sandwich. "That's right! Sikowitz hooked you up with that one theater down the road."

"Yesiree! They're starting a new show, and I'm part of the crew, so I'm gonna help start building the set. It's a really nice job to have, especially since I'm getting paid for it."

"Well, congrats, man. I hope it works out for you."

There's a bit of silence before I turn to Jade.

"Hey, since Robbie's busy today, can you take me home?"

"Sure. Meet me at my locker after school."

We all go back to munching on our food and the conversation quickly turns dull, talking about school and stuff, so I kinda space out. Before I know it lunch is over, and we're all reaching for our bags when Tori suddenly pops up.

"Hey Robbie, I forgot to ask! Andre and I were arguing earlier so, do you like pizza or sushi better?"

He stops and looks at her for a while before he answers.

"I like both. Can't I have a combination of the two?"

I feel myself smiling as I walk away.

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know I said Robbie would be the main POV, but I've been thinking a lot of Cat things lately, so we'll see what happens. Don't be mad. Don't be showing up to my house with pitchforks and torches all angry mob style. But if you happen to stop by the neighborhood, I'd be happy to make a pot of tea and we can chat and laugh and have all sorts of merriment together. Review!**


	8. Hidden Hearts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious. Otherwise I would have had Lola from Zoey 101 on the show and there would be a paradox. ****_Whoa! Victoria Justice is Tori and Shelby Marx and Lola all in the same universe?! *fan's head explodes*_**

Robbie POV

Ugh. Geez. Who knew crew people had to have muscle? We moved the spotlights and attached them to the beams, then restocked the backroom with all new wood to prep for actually building the sets tomorrow. All that loading and unloading of wood, I never thought it was going to end! Resting was out of the question, since I overheard some of the regulars making bets on how long I'd last. I definitely proved them wrong, but it feels like my arms are going to fall off.

I've been sitting in my car for maybe ten minutes, just resting a bit before I start heading home. It's getting a bit late and I should probably get something for dinner. But I'm in no rush. It's Saturday and Dad's usually home at around eight on the weekends, so I have about three hours. I told Mom about Skylar and she wanted to meet with her immediately, since they're just about to start hiring interns. They should have met this afternoon, so I bet they're done by now.

_Bzzz! Bzzz!_

I pull out my phone.

_Can you come and pick up Skylar? She was dropped off and I have more work to do so I can't leave. She doesn't live too far from us._

_-Mom_

Good thing I haven't started driving yet. I send back a response.

_Yeah I'll be right there._

I send a text to Skylar as well. She gave me her number so I could contact her about HotSpot, and good thing she did. Mom's schedule is usually packed, but I guess Skylar falls under the category of "hiring new employees" and not "free time".

_Hey Skylar! Mom said you needed a ride so I'll be there in 15._

I start up the ignition and pull away from the theater, making my way to HotSpot Headquarters. Traffic is better than usual, so it doesn't take long before I'm able to park in the staff parking lot. I take out the staff parking pass from my glove box and put it on my dashboard. Good thing mom gave me that pass, otherwise who knows how far away I'd have to park.

I check my phone and see that Skylar sent me back a message.

_Thank you so much! See you soon!_

I head toward the building and enter the lobby. I start looking around for her, and I don't see her until she's walking towards me. She's wearing a yellow dress and gray cardigan, with pumps that happen to have the same shade of yellow worked into the design. She looks really cute.

"Hey Robbie! Thank you so much for doing this."

"No problem. I just finished up working anyways."

We start walking back to my car and continue our conversation.

"So where do you work?"

"At the Oakwood Theater Playhouse. I just started working there."

"Really?" she gasped. "I love going there!"

"Oh, wow, cool! Yeah, it's really nice. But exhausting. I feel like I've been lifting weights all day, but that's kind of what I've been doing. A lot of heavy lifting."

"I'm sorry. That sounds painful." She pauses for a moment. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"

"Nah, I was just planning on popping in a movie at home and ordering a pizza or something. Why?"

"Well it's just I haven't eaten yet either, so we can grab something now if you want. I mean, I think eating together is much better than eating alone, right?"

I look over to her and she has a hopeful look in her eyes. I feel my brain go numb. Is she… asking me out to dinner?

"Yeah, um. Yeah. You can come over for the pizza-movie-thing if you want. Unless you want to eat somewhere else, that's fine, too, I'm just saying-"

She starts giggling. "Pizza and a movie sounds great."

I drive home, and we make small talk, but my mind is racing at 100 miles a minute.

_Do I look okay? How clean is the house? Does she think my car is awful? She probably does. Good thing I'm saving up for a new one. What if I do something stupid?_

It goes on like that until we pull into my driveway and I unlock the front door. We decided on Hawaiian style pizza, and I show her to our theater room. It's got large, comfy sofas and chairs with a huge plasma screen hung nicely on the wall. There's even a popcorn machine in the corner. I point to the bookshelf lined with DVDs.

"You can pick out a movie while I order the pizza."

She looks at the shelf then turns back to me.

"Okay, but don't blame me if the pizza comes before I've decided. How many movies do you have?!"

"A lot." I chuckle. "Most are mine, though. I'm a big movie buff."

She smirks at me. "I can tell."

She walks over to the bookshelf while I pull out my pearphone to look up the number for some delivery pizza, and update my Slap status while I'm at it.

…

Cat POV

_Robbie Shapiro_

_Working backstage is tiring! Pizza and movie night with Skylar before I collapse._

_Mood: Sore, but happy_

Are Robbie and Skylar on a date? They just met yesterday! Wait, did he cancel rehearsing with me to hang out with her? Why didn't he just tell me! He could have been honest, but I don't like her. Sure, I never really talked to her, but I don't like the vibe I get from her. She seems like a little-

"Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?"

I look up from my phone to Russell, who just sat down across from me after placing our tray of food on the table. It's almost impossible to get a table at Inside-Out Burger it's always so crowded! Everybody tries to grab a table as soon as it's empty, so I had to save our seats.

"What are you looking at?" He picks up a fry and takes a bite.

"I'm checking out the Slap." I put my phone down and pick up my burger. I look up at him, and he's just staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing. It's just you look angry. I've never really seen you angry before. Is something wrong?"

"Oh." I feel my face relax. I guess I was looking angry. "Well, no, nothing's wrong. I think I'm just tired." I lie. I don't know why this Robbie/Skylar thing is bothering me so much. I go out on dates pretty soon after I meet someone. It's not uncommon.

_But it's uncommon for Robbie._

I take a bite of my burger and swallow, trying to swallow my thoughts as well. I'm with Russell right now, I should be enjoying my date. He just took me out to that movie I've been wanting to see, and is buying my food. Because he's my boyfriend, and we're on a date.

We talked about the movie and other things at school, and after we were done eating he drove me home.

"Thanks for tonight." I tell him, and he cuts the ignition.

"Yeah, I had fun, too." I lean over and press my lips against his, and he presses back. The kiss was gentle, soft at first, then I felt his tongue trace my lower lip, and his hands started sliding up from my hips under my shirt a little. Something inside me screamed to stop, and I quickly pulled away.

"What's wrong?" I can tell he's frustrated.

"Um, I'm just not ready." I explain. "Thanks again for tonight, and I'll, uh, call you soon. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He starts up his car as I hop out and run up the walkway to my house. After I open the door and I look back, I see he's already driven away. I step inside and Andy is in the kitchen.

"Hi Cat, have a nice night?" Andy asks.

"Um, yeah, I guess."

"That's good." He takes a swig of beer from the glass bottle he's holding. "Do you want a sip? I promise I won't tell anyone." He winks.

"No thanks. Where's mom?"

"She's in the bathroom, and your brother should be in his room. I was just sticking around until you came home, just to be sure you were safe."

"Oh, well, thanks. I'm just going to my room now. I'll see you later."

I head toward the staircase and run into mom.

"Hi mom."

"Cat!" She seems almost sober. "Glad you came home safe. Andy tends to worry about you a lot for some reason."

"Yeah, he was telling me. It's kind of weird."

"Don't insult him." She suddenly snaps, and her voice is sharp.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!" She glares at me as I meekly move past her to get to the stairs. "I'm going to go to bed."

Mom doesn't respond and just walks back into the kitchen. After I enter my room I shut the door, and it only takes a few steps before I collapse onto my bed. I stare up at the ceiling for a while, and for whatever reason, I find myself practicing my lines for Sikowitz's class. It's harder without a partner to act with. I wish Robbie was here. I only get halfway through my lines before something happens.

I feel tears roll down the sides of my face. And I'm not sure why.

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'm in the midst of midterms and the one I took yesterday totally kicked my butt. It was awful. But after a lot of chocolate and reality TV with friends, I can honestly say I'm feeling much better :)**


	9. Jade Invasion

**Disclaimer: I cannot overclaim my claim of not owning Victorious, and proclaim my love for the show, though it is now unclaimable, since there will be no new episodes. I acclaim the show, and will now quitclaim these disclaimers. **

Robbie POV

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

I'm typing like a madman, pumping out this English paper that's due tomorrow. I just started today. Great planning on my part. And by great planning, I mean not at all.

I'm nearly finished, just have to write up the conclusion. Annnnddd… Done! I scan it over. Hmm. Not bad. Not my best, but pretty good for a last minute paper. The teacher loves me anyway, so I'm sure she'll go easy on me. I check the time.

5:17 pm. Since I started my paper right when I got home from the Playhouse Theater, that means I've written my paper in two hours! That must be a record. I guess if there's one thing I've learned, it's how to BS homework assignments.

It's a lucky thing that there wasn't as much work today at the Playhouse as there was yesterday. Well, that's not entirely true. Mark, my boss, knew that I had schoolwork and let me off early. He's the one that's friends with Sikowitz, so he makes sure I'm focusing on my education.

We get paid by the hour, so the other guys are probably going to be paid twice as much as me today. No matter how much I need a new car, I really need to keep up my grades, so the money I could have earned today is a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Well, it's Sunday so this is the last day to rehearse. Cat said she'd be here around 8, so I've got time. I'm pretty confident we'll do well. I can't wait to see the audiences' faces once they see Cat in such a dark role. It's so out of character for her.

I make my way downstairs to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of milk. Maybe I should start making something for dinner. Or I could just heat up some of the leftover pizza from last night.

I smile. Skylar and I stayed up talking after the movie until maybe one or two in the morning. We didn't even realize how late it was before Mom popped her head in the room and asked if Skylar needed to use the guest room. Of course, she declined and I drove her home, but still. She's amazing. We've been texting on and off all day. Even though I stayed up late and got up early to be driven to total physical exhaustion, I think it was worth it.

_Ding Dong!_

Huh? Who could that be? Cat's not supposed to be here for another three hours.

_Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!_

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I slam down my glass of milk and head to the door. I open it and see one of the last people I expected.

"Jade?"

"Hey." She looks me up and down. I'm wearing an old, faded t-shirt and sweats, since I wasn't expecting company until later, and I'm starting to feel self-conscious.

"I'm bored. Wanna hang out?"

"Wha…? I mean… huh?"

She smirks. "Very articulate. Now can I come in?"

I move to let her in and she breezes by me. I shut the door, and turn to face her.

"I don't mean to be rude, but… why?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said I was bored. Cat's out with her boyfriend, Andre is working at his internship at Mega Records, and I don't really want to spend time with the lovebirds. Plus, hanging out with you that one time wasn't awful."

"Well, thanks. That makes me feel much better about myself."

"Glad to hear it." She marches off and looks around the house as I go back to the kitchen to grab my milk.

"Hey, do you want something to drink?" I call out to her.

"Nah, I'm good." She replies. "Which way to your room? It's upstairs isn't it?"

I hear her stomp as she climbs the stairs. "Wait, Jade! Why do you want to see my room?"

I race after her, but she's already messing with my stuff by the time I get there.

"I think this is what one calls an invasion of privacy." I remark.

"Just be glad I'm not breaking any of your things." She moves to my closet and opens it up. "Hey, what's this?"

She pulls out a loud Hawaiian shirt and grins. "I've never seen you wear _this _before. Nice taste."

I snatch it back. "That was a gift from my grandmother, thank you very much! And no, I've never worn it. Except once when she came to visit." I hold it up and look it over. It's bright yellow with hibiscus, palm trees, and hula dancers all over it, with a few ocean waves mixed in. "But I agree, it is quite the ugly shirt."

She's back to rummaging through my closet and gasps. "Oh my God." What did she find this time? I see her pull out… Rex.

It's so weird to see her holding him. I just stand, speechless, as she flips him over in her hands.

"I know you haven't had him around much, but I was kinda hoping you gave him up for good. I guess stuffing him at the back of your closet works, too."

I stare into Rex's eyes and hear his mocking laughter in my head.

"You can keep him." I hear myself say.

Jade's eyes go huge. "Are you serious? I'll probably destroy him, you know."

I turn away. "That's the idea."

We just kind of stand like that in silence for a while, then she stuffs him in her bag. "Hey, I know you've got a theater room. Show me."

I lead her back downstairs and into the theater room, and she scans the walls. "You're a guy, don't you have any video games?"

"Why? What do you play?"

"Doesn't matter. I can still annihilate you."

"Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is."

I move toward the TV and put my milk on top of the cabinet underneath, which is filled with all my games and systems. I browse the drawers until I find a game I'm sure I can beat her in. I turn on my Xbox 360 and put in the disk.

After I grab a controller and hand it to her, the title screen pops up.

"Warriors of Mecha 3, nice." She says. "Let's make this more interesting. If I win, you have to wear that hideous shirt to school tomorrow."

"Fine." I start setting up multiplayer mode. "If I win, _you_ have to wear the shirt."

She shoots me a look. "Loser wears the shirt? Oh, it's on."

We sit cross-legged in front of the screen. It was an intense battle. I didn't think she was this good! And finally…

"AGGHHHH!" My warrior died!

"Ha HA! I beat you!" Jade cheered.

"Best out of three?" I ask.

"Fine. But you still won't win."

We play again. And again. And again. I was only able to beat her twice. Out of eight times. I really need to practice.

"Guess that means you're wearing the shirt tomorrow." She stretches out her legs.

"How'd you get so good?"

"My brother. The only way he'd play with me when I was younger was if I played video games with him. He really got me into it. Especially the blood and gore ones. Those are the most fun."

"Figures you'd like those ones best."

_Ding dong!_

I check the time. It's a little past eight, so it must be Cat. Time flies, right?

I get up and answer the door, and sure enough, the little redhead is standing right in front of me.

"Hi Robbie! You ready?" She lets herself in and starts heading for the stairs.

"Hold on, Cat." She gives me a curious look and her eyes focus on something behind me that makes her gasp.

"Jade! What are you doing here?"

She runs to Jade and hugs her.

Jade hugs back a little, then pulls away. "I was bored and you were with your boyfriend, so I came over to Robbie's instead."

"Are you going to watch us practice?" Cat gushed. "You can be the first to see it!"

"No, I should go. I'll see it tomorrow, it's more fun that way. Besides, Robbie already has what he's going to wear picked out."

She gives me an evil grin and I shake my head and sigh. Cat looks confused.

"Bye Cat. See ya, Robbie." And just like that, Jade's gone.

Cat grabs my sleeve and looks up to me. "What does she mean you've already got your clothes picked out? Can I see?"

I run my hand through my hair and start heading for my room. "Okay, but let me explain..."

**A/N: Warriors of Mecha 3 is a fictional video game, so don't look it up. I mean you can, but I'm not sure you'll find anything. But if you do, I'm sure it'll be awesome. Doesn't it sound like a cool game?**

**Review! And stick around! I'm still in midterms, but my goal is to update my stories within a week of the previous update. I haven't failed yet, but we'll see what happens when I hit finals week. Hoo boy. And yes, ****_stories_****, so check out "A Place to Call Home". It's very different from this one, so I hope you like it :)**


	10. Make Up Time

Robbie POV

Today has gone better than I expected. That hideous shirt Jade made me wear? Sure, I got a few weird looks, but Hollywood Arts is already such a bizarre school that nobody really cared enough to comment. Sinjin even came up to me and asked where I got it. I ended up selling it to him for $50. Talk about a major win.

I'm just glad I had some spare clothes with me, but I always carry extra clothes ever since Beck and Andre stole them during the whole Robarazzi incident. I did kind of deserve it, though, but it was still traumatic. I don't have the best looking body if you haven't noticed, and those pictures circulated the school for weeks.

Anyway, we performed our scenes for Sikowitz's class today! I think Cat and I nailed it. She was simply amazing. Just like I thought, every one was taken by surprise on how dark Cat could make her character. Hopefully Sikowitz sees how talented she really is and finally gives her a lead in the next show.

I was worried on how the audience would receive me, since I was still wearing the shirt at the time, but Sikowitz said he liked it and that it gave my character personality. Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it!

I make my way down the hall before opening the door to Mrs. Costa's classroom, since I'm driving Skylar home today. She lives just two blocks away from me, so she suggested we start carpooling. It saves gas and it's much more fun driving with someone else in the car. I've kinda gotten used to having someone with me, after driving Cat all week.

Since we're done with Sikowitz's thing, I don't really have an excuse to hang out with Cat anymore. I can't just show up to her house, like Jade, especially with Russell in the picture. Not that I really want to. It still hurts a little knowing she'll never see me like that. I'm planning on creating some space between us, it'll be a lot easier that way.

Skylar's still working on another girl's make up, and there are a few others in the room as well. All the students in the make up chairs have pale white faces and strange, colorful designs around their eyes.

"Hey." I come up behind Skylar. "What's this supposed to be?" She's blending a dark pink to an electric blue that is painted above the eyebrows. Weird.

"Have you heard of Cirque Du Soleil?"

"I've seen a show once. Is that what this is?"

"Yeah." She steps back to scan her partner's face. "We had to pick a picture out of a hat and recreate the look we chose. I think I did alright. You can open your eyes now, Becky."

Becky opens her eyes and sees herself in the mirror. "Whoa." She turns her head to admire the full make up. "This is really weird."

Skylar laughs. "Yeah, but you get to do it to me tomorrow. Hold up, let me get a picture!" She pulls out her pearphone and puts her head next to Becky's, and I can hear the _snap! _sound of a picture being taken. Skylar looks at the screen. "Ha ha! Very nice. This is going straight to the Slap."

Becky turns back to the mirror. "I'm just glad this is our last class. I don't think I could go the rest of the day looking like this."

"Let's show Mrs. Costa first. Do you want me to take off your make up?"

"Nah. It's fine. I'd rather just go home and take a shower. After removing my eyelashes, of course! These things are huge! I'm not used to the fake feather lashes."

"Good call." The two girls talk to Mrs. Costa for a bit, then come back. I just shift in place, uncomfortably. As I mentioned before, this room already makes me feel out of place, so all the make up stuff on top of that definitely takes me out of my element.

Skylar slings her bag over her shoulder and looks at me. "Ready?"

"Yeah." We leave and make our way to the parking lot.

"Sorry about that." She says. "I didn't mean to hold you up. It just took longer than I expected."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm used to waiting, since Cat takes a while to leave, too."

"Oh." She sounds slightly upset. "Is she riding home with us, too?"

"No, it was just for the week. We practiced almost everyday after school, but she probably won't need me to drive her anymore." I explain.

"Oh, okay." She pauses for a bit. "You like her, don't you."

"W-What? What makes you say that?"

"Just the fact that it's obvious." She gives me a small smile. "It's fine, you can tell me."

I sigh. There's no use hiding it. "I did like her. I mean, I do! I... Okay, it's this. Cat's got a boyfriend. She knew how I felt, but she started going out with him anyway. Sure I liked her, but I'm… I'm starting to wise up. It'll still take some time, you know? It's hard, getting over someone you've liked for so long."

Skylar nods. "I see. I'm sorry to hear about that. Well if you ask me, she doesn't know what she's missing."

I can feel her looking at me, and I feel myself blush. I really hope it doesn't show, but I'm not used to getting compliments like that from girls. "Thanks."

"No problem."

We finally reach my car. We buckle up, and a thought pops into my head as I start the ignition.

"Hey. You wanna... grab some ice cream?"

I can see her eyes brighten, and she's beaming at me. "I'd love to."

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! If you need me, I'll be sitting alone eating chocolate and crying in a dark room, all alone. Just kidding! My friends will be there, too :)**

**But seriously, don't whine about being "forever alone" on Valentine's. Go out with friends! Do something fun! Treat yourself! And review! A review would be a sweeter gift than candy. And a lot cheaper. I don't need any of that fancy French dinner, stuff. If you want me to, I'll be your Valentine for free, you awesome reader, you.**


	11. Party Hard

Cat POV

Where is he? He was supposed to be here by now! I'm standing outside the movie theater waiting for Russell, because he told me we could see "Escape from Planet Earth" tonight! I've really been wanting to see it, it looks so cute! But no one has wanted to see it with me, and I practically had to beg Russell to take me.

He told me to meet him here for the 7:50 showing, and I've been freezing my butt off! It's been unusually cold these past few days, and it even rained all day yesterday! So not only is it freezing, it's nighttime, and he's late. Twenty minutes late. He said to meet at 7:20, and now there's only ten minutes to get the tickets and grab seats! I can't even play Grumpy Gerbils anymore, my hands are shaking and my fingers are starting to go numb. I wish I brought gloves, but I didn't think I'd have to wait outside this long!

I look around again, and still no sign of him. I hate standing out here alone. It's so awkward, and I feel like everyone's judging me. I rub my hands together and hold them up to my mouth so I can breathe on them, and hopefully warm them up a bit.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I'm lifted up and being spun around.

"Ha ha ha! Stop it! Put me down, put me down!" I'm having a giggle fit as my feet touch the ground again, and feel his lips kiss the side of my head before he rests his chin on my shoulder.

"Hey baby, sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible, and I couldn't find a parking spot to save my life." Russell's breath tickles my neck as he holds me from behind. He's so warm. I turn around in his arms and he looks at me with those deep blue eyes.

"Okay. But you owe me some hot cocoa!" He leans in and kisses my lips.

"Deal."

I grab his hand and drag him to the ticket line. It's pretty long, but there are several booths open, so hopefully it moves fast. We're almost to the front of the line when Russell gets a text.

"Hey Cat. My buddy Kent is throwing a party right now. You wanna go?"

"But what about the movie?" I look up to him with pleading eyes. I've been looking forward to this! And I've been waiting…

"Yeah, but it just came out last week, so it'll be here for a while. You've turned down my last few party invites, and since we go to different schools, you haven't really met all of my friends. C'mon, I promise it'll be fun!"

"But-"

"Next in line, please!" A ticket seller calls out.

I look up at Russell and he's waiting for an answer. "Well? Can we go?"

I sigh. "Fine…"

We step out of the line and start walking towards the parking lot. I should have stood my ground, but I'm not very good at it. Jade says it's my biggest weakness. I'm too eager to please others, and forgive too easily. I notice several empty parking spaces before we come up to his car. So much for his "I couldn't find parking" excuse. And just like everything else, I let it slide.

It takes a while before we roll up to a house that's blasting music and people are everywhere. I see kids just hanging out in the front yard and you can see at least two people in every window of the house. When he said meet all his friends, I didn't think he meant meet _all_ his friends!

After we park, he leads me to the front door and already I can tell that most everyone is drunk. I don't like it. Reminds me of Mom.

I squeeze onto his hand as we navigate through the crowded hallway and into the kitchen, where a tall Asian boy is leaning his back against a counter, red cup in hand. He looks to be animatedly telling a story using wild hand gestures, and once he finishes the group around him all laugh. He sees us and smiles, raising his cup.

"Yo, Russell! Didn't think you could make it!"

"No way, Kent. Wouldn't miss this!" Really? What about the movie?

Russell puts his arm around me. "This is my girlfriend I've been telling you about. Cat."

I put on my best smile and wave. "Hi!"

Kent laughs. "Nice to meet you, Cat!" A look of realization flashes through his eyes. "Where are my manners? Hold on a sec."

He walks over to the other side of the kitchen, where a keg is sitting, and fills two cups. He walks back and hands them to us. "Drink up! It's the last keg, so take some while you can!" I turn to see Russell is already chugging his drink. I look down at the beer and take a sip. Ugh! It's so bitter and nasty! And it smells absolutely terrible! How do people like this?

Kent is back to talking to everyone else, and Russell is next to the keg, filling up his second cup. There's so many people here! It's so noisy, and hot! But not the good kind of hot. It's the sticky, sweaty kind.

I peek around the corner into a room where the music is blaring, and everyone is shoulder to shoulder, dancing. Well, kind of dancing. They're just kind of bouncing up and down, since there's not much room for anything else, and this room is so hot and humid the windows have fogged up. Ew.

I feel Russell's hand wrap around mine, and he leads me through more crowded hallways before we reach a staircase leading downwards to the basement. We're halfway down the staircase when a guy points at us. "Russell! My main man! We're just about to set up a beer pong tournament! Wanna join?"

"Yeah, dude! Sign me up!" Russell turns to me. "Wanna be my partner?"

I shake my head. "No, I'll just watch."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm." I nod. "Go have fun with your friends. I'll be your cheerleader!" I smile at him, and he grins back. He walks over to the guy, and they start making a list of names on the whiteboard against the wall.

I fiddle with the cup in my hands, then move to sit on the sofa while everyone sets up the game. Everybody seems really excited about it, and I just feel out of place. The tournament begins, and people are cheering, obscenities are thrown around, and of course, everyone slowly gets wasted. This game is taking forever, and after a while, they start running low on beer, so they replace it with small amounts of hard liquor instead.

The drunker the crowd gets, the rowdier they are, so I move out from the crowd and stand farther back, so I don't get hurt. Russell makes it to the semifinals before he's out. And when I mean he's out, I mean he threw the ball and missed the table completely, several times in a row.

When he notices I'm not in the crowd immediately around the table, he looks a bit dazed before he sees me and staggers over.

"Heeyyy, Cat. Kitty Cat. Kitty kitty Cat Cat." His words are a bit slurred, he's laughing at what he just said, like it's the funniest joke ever. Plus, his breath reeks! I didn't know he acted like this.

"Here, let's sit you down." I try to support him as I lead him over to the couch, and he collapses on top of me. I try to push him into an upright position, but he pushes me back down and presses his lips against mine. I try to fight him off, but he's too heavy. I hate this!

He leaves my lips and starts leaving sloppy kisses down my neck, and I'm finally able to lift his shoulder off of me and roll out from under him. He plops face down on the cushions, and doesn't move. I try shaking him to get him up.

"Russell, give me your keys. I want to go home. Russell! RUSSELL!" He must have passed out. I need to get out of here!

I go back upstairs and maneuver my way out of the house. The cool air breezes past me, and I taste its freshness. I pull out my pearphone and know just who to call.

"What?"

"Jade, can you come pick me up?" I could hear my voice waver.

"Wait, hold on, where are you? Are you okay?" Her voice is still hard, but I could tell she was worried.

"No. No I'm not. Can you pick me up?" I try to keep my voice steady, but it just gets worse.

"Text me the address. I'll be right there." I hear a _click_ and I know she's gone. So I text her the address, then wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing her to get here faster, as I feel the sharp night wind chill the tear streaks down my face.

**A/N: Poor Cat! What a jerk.**

**Side note, I really wish I could update more, I have so many ideas, but I've been swamped with schoolwork. I have not one, not two, but three group projects! Yay! (Shoot me now.) I actually should have been studying for my exam on Thursday instead of writing this. Oh well. **

**And did you all see the pic of Ari and Jennette sleeping? So cute! She tweeted it at around 3:30 am. I kept looking at it over the next three hours as I was working, and actually felt better, like I was vicariously sleeping through them. I'm just glad my roommates weren't awake, because staring at a pic of two sleeping girls would be kind of hard to explain :P**

**Review!**


	12. A New Dawn

Cat POV

I walk downstairs and into my living room. Everyone is there. Jade, Andre, Tori, Beck, and even Russell. I don't know why they're there, but they look sad.

"What's wrong? Why is everyone here?" I ask.

Jade steps forward, and she has a look in her eyes that I've only seen once before. She looks broken.

"Cat… Robbie was in a car accident. There was a drunk driver and… he didn't make it."

What?

"You're lying." I step back and scan the faces in the room. They're all staring at me with pity. Jade tries to come up and hug me, but I push her away. "He's not dead! YOU'RE LYING!" I feel the tears roll down my face and I collapse to the floor, my body wracking with sobs. He's gone. I never got to say goodbye! I never told him…

I find myself in the Shapiro's theater room, and scan the shelf full of DVDs. I run my fingers over the spines of the cases.

Robbie's movies. He'll never be able to watch them again.

"Cat." I turn around. It's Russell. "I don't like seeing you so depressed. Be the happy Cat I know."

Something inside me snapped. "NO!" The tears come again, harder than ever. I'm bawling and yelling and I can't stop. "I can't be happy all the time! I'm not some wind-up doll that can switch my feelings on and off! I can't be miss sunshine when Robbie's gone! I can't…" I'm hiccupping for air at this point. I can't do this! He's gone…

I feel a tear roll over the bridge of my nose and fall right onto my pillow, and I start breaking down again. I curl around Mr. Longneck and squeeze him to my chest. _Robbie's dead…_

No, wait.

_It was just a dream._

I sniffle and uncurl myself. I kiss Mr. Longneck on his head, and it's wet. I must have been crying into him in my sleep. I've been crying a lot lately.

Wait, where am I? This isn't my bed.

I sit up a little and look around. The bedsheets that cover me are black and the dark, patterned wallpaper reminds me I'm in Jade's room. After grabbing some clothes from my house she let me spend the night and even let me sleep in her bed, since it's queen sized. I peek over to the other side of the bed, where Jade is still sound asleep. I think the only reason she let me over is because her step mom doesn't like me for some reason, and Jade loves to defy her. We practically had to sneak in, but I really didn't want to be alone last night.

I sit up fully and clutch Mr. Longneck close to me again. It's still early, but I don't want to go back to sleep. It's too sad. I try to pull myself together as a few more tears slip out. _It was so real._

I want to hear Robbie's voice. It's Saturday, so I won't see him again for another two days, but that's too far away. If I call him now, I'll probably wake him up because it's so early. I don't want to bother him, but…

What does this mean? Why am I reacting so violently? The dream replays in my head.

_He didn't make it. _

_I'm not a wind-up doll!_

_ You're lying!_

_ Be the happy Cat… _

_ I never told him…_

Told him what?

I wish I could remember! It seemed really important. Maybe I'll remember later, but the thought was so clear and obvious in my dream. For now, I just really need to call Robbie. I don't think he'll be mad. At least, I hope he won't be.

I slip out of bed and tiptoe out of the room, so I don't wake her up. Last time I woke up a sleeping Jade, it wasn't very fun. After grabbing my pearphone and closing the bedroom door softly behind me, I make my way to the bathroom and lock myself in. I perch on the edge of the bathtub and dial Robbie's number.

…

Robbie POV

Uggghhh. I check the clock. 7:06 am. Work starts at 9, and my alarm isn't supposed to go off for another hour. Who's calling me? I reach for my phone and press answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi Robbie. Did I wake you up?"

I immediately sit up. Cat? Why is she calling me this early? Her voice sounds kind of shaky.

"Cat? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I just needed to call you. I… had this dream, and you died, and I needed to hear your voice, and… how are you?"

"Cat, I'm fine. I'm here. So don't worry. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mmhmm. Thank you. It was just so real. So, so real." I hear her take a deep breath. "Can I see you today?"

"I have work today, but I can meet you after."

"Oh, that's right, you have work. Um, that sounds great. I'm just… a little shaken up. I think seeing you would help, I really want to see you."

"Yeah, yeah definitely. I'll come over to your place?"

"NO!" Her shout made me jump. "I mean, no. Can we be at your house? Is that all right?"

"Of course. I'll pick you up on my way home."

"Thank you. I'll see you later, then!"

"Yeah, later."

"Bye!"

"Bye." After she hung up, I just stare at my phone. I wonder why she doesn't want me coming over to her house. Her brother probably did something weird again so her house isn't available.

I throw my legs over the side of the bed, since I know there's no way I can fall back asleep after that. She's acting this way after she dreamed I died? It's nice to know she cares this much but, I don't know.

Wait. Wait a second. I was supposed to meet up with Skylar today! I'll have to reschedule with her, I hope she understands. Cat needs me more right now. I haven't heard her so depressed since that jerk dumped her for not being blonde. I'll tell her after I take a shower. A shower sounds really nice right now.

…

Cat POV

Yay! I'm meeting Robbie today! I'm practically hugging my phone and I'm giggling madly. He's so sweet. And he wasn't angry at me for waking him up! I can't have him come over to my house, my mom is probably hungover again, and who knows what my brother is up to! The only person that's ever come over to my house is Jade, and that's because I've known her for so long and she's so pushy, it'd be impossible to keep her away.

But Robbie picked up that I wasn't feeling well right away. I don't think even Russell would have known.

Russell, that jerk. Last night was one of the worst nights I've ever had. It was so awkward and lonely, and he had to go and get drunk out of his mind like that. What would have happened if I insisted on seeing the movie? Would he have left anyways? And if I did end up drinking, he wouldn't have been able to save me from any creepy guys! What would have happened then? Even in my dream he was a Class A jackass. No wonder I-

I freeze. I remembered what I never told Robbie.

I never told him… that I love him.

I think I'm in love with Robbie Shapiro.

**A/N: Yay! Cat's sorted it out, but Robbie's been spending an awful lot of time with Skylar. The plot thickens...**

**Please review, you gorgeous popsicles! I write down every review and stick it on my wall above my bed. The regulars all have assigned colors, and there's a lovely shade of pink I now affiliate with morecupcakesplz for her consistent reviews, sew tank ewe! And CabbieForeverLoved, I never told you but there has been a cup of cocoa waiting for you in my kitchen. You never showed up. Tsk, tsk ;)**


	13. Wake-Up Call

Cat POV

I'm in love with Robbie? No, that can't be right! He's one of my best friends! I can't feel that way about him, it's Robbie! But then again… it's Robbie. Sweet, funny, adorable Robbie.

I touch my fingers to my lips.

At the Cow Wow, when he… kissed me… it was so confusing. I had always seen him as a friend, he was always there for me. But when he came with Gabriella, it was like, I felt betrayed, and I was so frustrated because I didn't understand why I was so upset. And I really wanted him with me instead of her.

But that moment when our lips touched, he took me by surprise and… I was scared. There was something there, with him, that I'd never felt before. And it terrified me. Every fiber of my being screamed for me to run away from this thing I was feeling, away from him, so I did.

That whole night, I repeated to myself that he was just a friend, that I didn't love him. He was my best friend, I couldn't complicate things, I didn't feel anything for him. I had so thoroughly convinced myself I of this, I guess I had blinded myself to my own feelings.

It wasn't long after that I met Russell. He was handsome and asked me out, so I said yes. I know I told Jade I wasn't trying to hide him, but I kind of was. I was scared of what Robbie, of what anyone might think of this new boy. And I think I was secretly ashamed. But once again, I convinced myself I did love Russell, that he was special.

And that dream last night was my subconscious screaming at me. I think I had always been in love with Robbie. But now that I can admit that he's more than a friend to me, what do I do now? I've been lying to myself for so long, it's hard to adjust my feelings. I don't know where to start!

The banging at the door snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Cat! You've been in there forever! I'm tired of waiting!"

I hop up from where I had perched on the bathtub and open the door. "Sorry, Jade."

She brushes past me and closes the door, so I make my way back to her room, grab Mr. Longneck, and sit cross-legged in the middle of the bed. My mind is churning! Everything has become so clear, but I'm so confused!

It's not long until Jade walks back in, and she scans my face. "You don't look too great."

"Thanks, that's_ just_ what I need to hear right now!"

"Easy there, tiger." She makes her way back to the bed. "I did my share of comforting last night, so Nice Jade's gone."

"That was Nice Jade? All you did was tell me different ways you were going to torture or kill Russell!" I shiver at the memory. Some of her methods were pretty elaborate. No wonder I had nightmares!

She pulls out her desk chair then picks up the pair of scissors I got her for Christmas, and starts playing with them. The _snip snip snip _sounds fill the room as I watch her obliterate a coat hanger. "Well?" A chunk of the hanger falls to the floor. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or not?"

I bite my lower lip, trying to figure out where to start.

"I'm waiting!"

I know Jade's not very good with the whole "showing your emotions" thing, but she's always there for me. So I take a deep breath, and begin.

"Okay, well, last night I had this dream…" and everything spills out. The dream, the realizations, the confusion, all of it. She just sits there, slowly destroying the coat hanger in her hands with an intent look on her face. "…and now that I like Robbie, I know that I've messed everything up by dating another guy and ignoring the fact that something did happen between us, and I broke his heart!"

Jade looks up at me. "Has anything happened between you two since then?"

I wring my hands, and feel myself blush. "There was this time he made me cupcakes, and this other time that he tripped and I… well… I fell too, and I ended up practically laying on top of him."

"Oh, really?" She has a coy little smile on her face.

"But nothing happened! It was nothing!" I start playing with my hair. "Although now, I kind of wish something did happen…"

"If he made you cupcakes he probably still likes you. Plus he's a desperate little nerd so if you ask him out, he'll definitely take you."

I shoot her a look. "Don't call him that!"

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. You know I-"

Suddenly my phone rings. I pick it up and check the caller ID.

I gasp. "It's Russell! Jade, what should I do?"

"Put the damn thing on speaker phone. I want to hear what this wazzbag has to say for himself."

I do as she says, and Russell's voice comes out tired and confused.

"Hey, Cat? Where are you? I woke up in Kent's basement, but I can't find you."

"I had Jade pick me up from the party."

"Is she the hot one or the freaky goth one?"

Jade snatched the phone from my hand. "Listen here you asshole. You promised Cat a movie but instead, brought her to a drunk ass party and left her stranded there! You're lucky I don't come over there right now and beat the shit out of you for putting her in a situation like that, where some hammered creep could have taken advantage of her! You just had to go and get yourself shit-faced, didn't you?"

I cringed at all the swear words Jade was spewing, but a part of me was happy that she was telling him off like this. She really does care about me.

"God damn it, don't shout! And calm down, she's fine, isn't she? She had a good time."

"No, I didn't," I murmur.

"What? I can't hear you." He says.

"I didn't have a good time. I hated it! But you were too blind to notice what I was feeling! And you were so eager to get wasted and play beer pong with your friends, you barely spent _any_ time with me! And when you did…" I lower my voice. "Do you remember anything from last night?"

There's a pause before he speaks. "I remember we started using liquor instead of beer for the game, but everything after that is kind of hazy. Did something happen?"

Jade sneered. "You tried forcing yourself on her in front of everyone, you son-of-a-bitch!"

"Oh my god. Cat, I'm so sorry, I would never-"

"Well the fact of the matter is you did." Jade is on a roll. "And you know what? She's realized she deserves better than you."

"Stop speaking for her! You make it sound like she's breaking up with me."

"Actually…" I think I should. It wouldn't be right to keep this up.

"Cat. Don't you _dare_ break up with me over the phone." He growled. "And over a stupid mistake! We can work past this!"

Jade gives a bitter laugh. "Oh no. She's not staying with you. She got one hell of a reality check last night, and it doesn't involve you. Besides, a piece of trash like you doesn't deserve a personal break up."

"Jade, I do think you're being a little mean."

She shoots me a look and I immediately lower my gaze.

"See? She still wants to be with me!"

"…No. I-I'm sorry Russell, I don't. I hope we can still be friends?"

"Bullshit." I hear a click and realize he hung up. He sounded furious.

Jade looks at me. "I think that went well."

"What are you talking about? That was terrible!"

"Compared to what would have happened if I saw him in person, trust me, it went well."

Jade walks over to the trash can and throws away the remains of the coat hanger. She makes a few more snipping sounds with her scissors before she smirks at me.

"So… you're meeting Robbie later, eh?"

**A/N: Reviews are always appreciated! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Mostly because I've started sewing them together and using them as makeshift blankets. They're surprisingly comfy. **


	14. Gravity

Cat POV

"Thanks for dropping me off, Jade."

"Yeah, whatever."

I open the car door and slide out of my seat, my heels clacking as they land on the pavement below.

"Hey!"

I turn back to her.

"Good luck today."

"Heehee! Thank you, Jade!"

She rolls her eyes as I grab my overnight bag and shut the door, waving after her car as it speeds away.

_Ding!_

I check my phone. Ugh, another text from Russell. He's been texting and calling me since I broke up with him this morning, trying to get me to talk to him again, or meet up with him. I felt a bit guilty at first, but now it's just annoying.

I sigh and make my way up to the building in front of me. Home. Even though sometimes it doesn't feel like it. The door is unlocked, so I walk right in and head straight for the staircase to go to my room. I feel a grip on my shoulder, and a hand whips me around making me squeak.

"Where were you last night?" I'm face to face with my mother, and her breath reeks of whiskey.

"I-I was with Jade. We had a sleepover, I left a note!"

"Don't lie to me! You were with a boy, weren't you?"

"No! I mean, I was at first, but then I-"

Her grip tightens on my shoulder.

"Mom, you're hurting me!"

She lets go, but her glare is still focused on me. "I don't like the fact you sleep around with so many guys, but when you lie to me about it, that's when I get angry."

"But Mom, I don't-"

"And another thing." She flicks the bottom of my dress. "Just because you're easy doesn't mean you have to dress the part."

She brushes past me and into the kitchen, leaving me standing alone.

"But I don't sleep around…"

I trudge up the staircase and throw my bag on the floor, then fall onto my bed.

It's not new, the harsh words, but it still hurts. I may not have slept with anyone before, but what she said…

_She's right._

How many guys have I dated? I don't think I even remember all of their names! I'm a horrible person. The absolute worst.

And Robbie… I don't want him to be just another name on the list! What if I'm wrong? What if I don't love him like I think I do? I don't want to break his heart, I can't have him fade away from me, I need him! But I… I think I love him. I really do. But I have to make sure. I really_ really _have to make sure.

_Ding!_

Another text from Russell. I toss my phone to the other side of my bed and roll over, and stare at the ceiling. I can't wait until I see Robbie today. Maybe seeing his face, it will all become clear.

_Ding!_

Really? Are you serious? I pick up my phone, ready to tell off Russell again to leave me alone, but then I smile when I see who it's from. It's from Robbie.

_Hey sorry I'm running late. I'll be there in 20._

I send him a quick response.

_Kk! Can't wait! :)_

I hop off my bed and rush to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. My make-up is okay, but I could touch it up a bit. I run back to my room and grab my make-up from my overnight bag, then go straight back to the bathroom for touch ups. Heehee! Perfect! But my clothes, was Mom right? Do I dress like someone who's easy?

"What's with all the running?"

I can see his reflection through the mirror. "Not now, Charlie!"

He pouts at me. "What, no time for your big brother?" He ruffles my hair and I squeal.

"Ahhhh! You messed up hair! Now I have to redo it!"

I take out my hair clips and brush back the loose strands before I pull my hair back again. Charlie is poking around the cabinets underneath the sink.

"What are you doing?"

"Here it is!" He pulls out a container of disinfectant wipes and removes one, biting onto the cloth, then smacks his lips. "How flammable do you think this is?"

"Charlie, you're not supposed to play with fire anymore!"

"But I need to! I'm an inventor/scientist! I can't make any discoveries or invent things without fire!"

"You've never actually invented or discovered anything! And besides, Mom will get mad…"

He winks at me. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Yeah, but that's only if you don't set the house on fire again."

"I did NOT set the house on fire! It was only the curtains. And the sofa next to it. And-"

I giggle and he stops listing his accidents, then smiles at me.

"You never answered my question. What's with all the running? You got a hot date?"

I blush madly and turn away. "Maybe."

"Oh, a _maybe_ date. What's his name this time?"

I whip around and face him. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Charlie holds up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, geez. Sorry. I just meant that I don't keep tabs on who you're dating. I can't keep track of all the guys you date."

I look down at my feet. My voice is barely above a whisper. "You think so, too?"

"Think what, Cat?"

"That I'm… easy?"

His face becomes completely serious, and his voice lowers into a growl. "Who told you that?"

I fidget with the hem of my dress. "…Mom."

I see his face soften before he pulls me in for a hug, and I squeeze him back as hard as I can. I try not to cry, but I can feel my eyes tear up a little.

"Cat, you're not like that. I know you're not. Don't listen to what she, or anyone else says, okay? Promise me that."

I nod into his shoulder. "Okay."

We stay like that for a little while, and he finally releases me. I sniffle a little and look back up at him.

"You know, if you didn't live here, I probably would have run away by now."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "I could say the same thing."

Charlie leaves the room, and I turn back to the mirror. Good. My make-up still looks alright. I blink a few times to make the tears go away, and head back downstairs. On the way out the door, I hear the sound of clinking beer bottles as Mom roots through the refrigerator. Like she wasn't drunk enough.

I quietly open and close the front door behind me, and sit out on the curb in front of my house. There's no way I'm letting Mom meet Robbie. How would she react? How would HE react? I don't even want to think about it!

I want to check the time, but I left my phone inside. Phooey. I'm not going to risk going back in there.

Luckily, it doesn't take very long before I see Robbie's car turn the corner, coming for me. I jump up and wave, and he pulls right up next to me.

After hopping in his car and buckling up, I turn to look at him.

"Hey Cat. Feeling better?"

"Yeah! Thank you!" Just being with him instantly makes me feel better! He starts driving away, and I can't take my eyes off of him. The shadows his glasses make, the way his hair curls, the faint traces of a smile on his lips. I can't look away. I'm completely mesmerized.

He suddenly turns to face me, and I immediately look away. Why did I do that? It's so obvious I was staring at him, now! I feel my face turn red, and play with the hem of my dress again.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong, Cat? You're not usually this quiet."

"Everything's fine! I'm just… thinky."

His lips curve into a smile, and I feel my heart beat faster. How does he do this to me?

"What are you thinky about?"

"Y'know… stuff."

I lean forward and turn on the radio, switching stations until I find one with music. I don't want him to know! Not yet. Not until I'm really sure.

"So…" he asks. "Did you have anything in mind for today?"

I shake my head. "No… I just wanted to see you. I like spending time with you, Robbie." Was that too much? I hope not!

"You said before that you wanted to go to my house, right? Because that's where I'm headed."

"Yay! I like your house!"

He chuckles. "We can watch a movie together. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yes! I love movies!"

He laughs again. I love his laugh.

We pull into his driveway and I jump out, following him as he leads me inside.

"Hey Cat, is it alright if I take a shower really quick? Building sets can be sweaty work."

I giggle. "Yeah, go clean up! I'll just pick out a movie!"

He heads upstairs and I walk into his theater room. I make my way to the shelves of DVDs, and trace my fingers across the spines. Just like in my dream, except Robbie's here with me now, and he will be watching these movies again. With me. Just the thought of sitting next to him, just the two of us, makes me giddy!

Wow, there's so many movies! Good thing they're organized my genre. I want… a romance movie. Where are they? Aha! Here they are! Hmm… I love all these movies! I think I'll pick _The Wedding Planner_. I haven't seen it in a while.

I continue to scan the shelves while I wait for Robbie to come back. I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear his voice behind me.

"Find anything good?"

I turn around to face him, and he's standing a few feet behind me. He's wearing a plain blue shirt and jeans, but his hair is a soggy mess. It's kind of… cute.

"Umm, here." I hand him the movie.

"_The Wedding Planner_, huh?" He grins at me. "You sure you wouldn't rather watch this with Russell?"

I shift from side to side. "We… we broke up."

"Oh, Cat. I'm sorry." Robbie wraps his arms around me in a hug. I feel all tingly inside, and he smells so good.

"Don't feel bad, I'm the one that broke up with him. But I like your hugs." I giggle before he pulls away.

"How about we start the movie?" He walks over to the TV and turns on the DVD player before popping in the disc.

I sit down on the couch and he plops down next to me. He grabs the remote, and navigates through the menu before pressing _play_.

Our shoulders are touching, and I lean my head against him. This feels so… right. He has made me so happy just by being here with me, and I know. He's not just some boy to me. He's more than that. I've decided! I'm going to tell him. How should I start? Umm… maybe when the movie's over we can talk about love. Or sometime in the middle? I don't know! I want to do this right!

We're almost halfway through the film when Robbie pulls out his phone. I peek up at him, and I can tell he just opened a text because he has a huge smile on his face.

"What're you so happy about Robbie?"

"Huh? Oh, well Skylar and I are going to this concert next week, and she's been sending me texts everyday counting down to it."

Just hearing him say her name makes me anxious. "Skylar? You… You've been spending a lot of time with her lately."

"Yeah, but that's because," he rubs the back of his neck. "I was planning on telling everyone on Monday, but I guess I can tell you now."

"Tell me what?" I feel my stomach turn in knots. I don't like this.

"Skylar and I are dating."

I swear my heart stopped. My heart, my stomach, everything in me feels empty and hollow and aching.

I'm too late.

**A/N: You hate me. You haaaaaaate meeeee :)**

**Hahaha! But seriously though. I know I miserably failed at my "one chapter a week" promise, but on top of school and everything else, I've been wracking my brain for how this chapter should go. I know what's gonna happen after this, but I didn't quite know how to break the news that Robbie is Skylar's new beau. I mapped out 9 different versions and wrote out 4 of them before coming up with this. I didn't hate it, so up it goes! I know y'all wanna see Cat & Robbie together, but there's good stuff ahead! Just bear with me. *Puts on bear costume* Graghrawrrwar raghrghrawghar!**

**Review or I'll eat all your honey. Don't test me. I'll do it.**


	15. Resolution

Robbie POV

I rush around my room, gathering the scattered clothes sprawled across the floor. Skylar's coming over to prepare for our history exam next week, and I raced home after school today to make sure my room is girl-worthy. I suspect it'll take her another ten minutes to get here, but I'm hastily throwing things into the clothes hamper and onto the bed to be folded and put away, sorting the clean from the dirty. I lift up a shirt and smell it.

Dirty. Clean. Dirty. Dirty. Cl-

This… this shirt smells like strawberries. Oh yeah, I was wearing this when Cat came over a few days ago. She was impossibly close, practically pressed up against me, and I could barely concentrate on the movie. Her head was resting on my shoulder and everytime I breathed in it was the scent of strawberries, light and sweet, filling my lungs. She makes it hard to breathe.

I shake my head, trying to scatter my thoughts. What am I doing? I really have to stop this. I can't think these things when I'm dating another girl! Besides, Cat never has and never will look at me that way, so I have to start moving on now. It's for the best. Maybe I should tell Cat to lay off a bit. The touches, the hugs, the little acts of affection. They're meaningless to her, but mean so much to me, and I can't accept them anymore. It wouldn't be right. I have to start making room for the new girl in my life.

I toss the shirt into the clothes hamper and start putting away the clean clothes.

Skylar's amazing. I'm lucky to be able to date a girl like her, and the fact that she likes me, _actually_ likes me, is in itself a miracle. That day, when I took her out for ice cream, she leaned in and kissed my cheek. Because of that, I became all sorts of disoriented, and I couldn't get out a single coherent sentence. She just laughed and took my hand, and I could finally relax into a smile. She's exactly what I need right now.

_Ding dong!_

That must be her! I take a quick last look around my room. Much better than before. I dash down the stairs and swing the door open, greeted by a now familiar pair of pale blue eyes and wavy blonde hair.

"Hi Robbie!"

"Skylar! Come on in!" She steps past me and I shut the door behind her. I turn to face her, and she's adjusting her loose fitting tank top as she hikes up the backpack's leather strap on her shoulder.

"So, where should we study?"

"I've got everything in my room already, so we can study there."

"Sounds good to me." She weaves her fingers into mine, and I lead her up the stairs for an afternoon of notebooks, flashcards, and World War II. And I couldn't be more thrilled about it.

…

Cat POV

I'm leaning against the frame of Jade's bed and scrunch my toes in the carpet, the soft feel against my feet. Skylar sat with us at lunch today, and I can't seem to think of anything else besides seeing her and Robbie together, acting all couple-y. It's not fair!

Jade is doing her best to keep me focused on the work in front of me, but I can tell she's getting frustrated. She finally loses it and throws the book across the room, a sharp thud as it hits the wall.

"You know what? Screw Jane Eyre!" She stands tall above me as I look up at her. "You're more distracted today than usual, and it's getting on my nerves. What? Is Russell still bothering you?"

I shake my head. "No, he was only really annoying that one day. He still tries calling sometimes, but it's not bad."

She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "It's Robbie, isn't it?"

I chew my lip and look down, making swirlies in the carpet with my finger.

"Cat, I can't help you. He's dating someone else. You've either got to win him back or let him go."

"I know! I know…" I bring my knees up to my chin and wrap my arms around my legs. "It's just… I want him so bad, I don't think I can let him go!"

"Then steal him away! Tell him you love him! Or make him jealous!"

"No! It's no use trying to make him jealous. He's gone. He's belongs to someone else. And I can't try to steal him away because… because it hurt so much when that happened to me with Danny. I couldn't go through with it, I couldn't do that to another girl!"

"Cat, you've got to do one or the other! You can't keep pining after him, you'll go crazy!"

"I feel like I'm already going crazy!" I shoot out my legs and slam my palms on the floor. "He's all I can think about! There'd been no warning, I had no time to prepare myself for this! It was like someone flipped a switch and I can't turn it off!" I lower my head, my voice softening. "But since I figured out I like him, shouldn't I be able to control it? Shouldn't I be able to do something about it? But it keeps getting worse, Jade, it just keeps getting worse!"

I rest my eyes in the palms of my hands, and do my best to stop the tears from escaping. I've never felt anything like this, this twisting in my chest and in the pit of my stomach. I haven't had an appetite in days. I've been forcing myself to eat, but the portions keep getting smaller and smaller. Just thinking about him with her I… I don't know what to do!

Jade sighs again. "You can't feel anything halfway, can you?" I can feel her move across the room and hear the door to her closet slide open. She's digging for something, and I raise my head to see what she's doing. She whips around and tosses something, and it lands about a foot away from me. I gasp when I see what it is.

"Jade, how did you…?" I pick it up and move the dreads from his face. Rex. I trace his cheek with my fingers and smooth out his clothes, his eyes gazing lazily at the ceiling.

"Robbie gave him to me to destroy. I ordered some special fireworks that were supposed to come in the mail tomorrow, so I could film the massacre of Rex Powers and upload it to the Slap. But I think you need him more."

I hop up to Jade and throw my arms around her, Rex dangling from my hand as he rests against Jade's back. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Jade squirms a little and I hold on tighter, squeezing her as hard as I can.

"Alright, alright!" She starts to peel me off of her, and I hold up Rex to my face and kiss his nose.

Rex. This little piece of Robbie that is all mine. I don't have to share him with anybody, especially Skylar. I cradle the puppet in my arms, brushing out his hair with my fingers. I wonder why Robbie wanted to finally get rid of him? I guess it doesn't matter, because he's with me now.

I smile, remembering the first time I met Robbie. It was actually because of Rex. I hadn't started straightening my hair yet, my head a mess of red velvet curls, and as I was walking through the hallways I heard Rex say my hair looked like an exploding tomato. Of course it hurt, but Robbie apologized and scolded Rex, and I thought they were funny. It was so weird to see someone arguing with a puppet like that. But I guess Rex never was a puppet in Robbie's eyes, so I never acted like he was, either. Rex isn't so bad now that he can't insult me. He's actually kind of cute.

Suddenly, my stomach grumbles. Jade raises a studded eyebrow. "You hungry?"

I place my hand on my stomach, startled by the noise. I nod. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

Jade leads me downstairs to the kitchen, and all the while I clutch Rex up against me. I sit down at the table as I watch Jade root through the refrigerator. I feel something spark in me, a jolt of clarity, and I realize I do need to do something about Robbie. I can't keep moping around like this, I won't get anywhere. I feel my heart beat faster, the courage pumping through my veins. Where did this feeling come from?

"There's nothing really good in here. Do you want some Mac & Cheese or SpaghettiOs?" Jade slams the fridge door and glances at me before moving to the cupboards. "I'm glad you like it, but are you going to carry that thing around all day?"

I look at the puppet in my arms, and a slight smile grows on my face. Now I know where that courage came from and why Robbie carried Rex around for so long. He's magic.

**A/N: I am on Spring Break! Huzzah! Finally, I can relax a bit. These past few weeks have made me very grumpy and tired. Like an old person who can't find their pants. Now I can just be a normal, 19-year-old girl who can't find her pants.**

**Review! And if you happen to see any pants lying around, will you tell me? This is why I can never own nice jeans...**


	16. Crush

Cat POV

I wake up fresh and early, skipping over to my closet. I have to wear something extra special today! If I'm gonna tell Robbie I like him, I'm gonna do it right! Skimming through the dangling colored fabrics, my fingers smooth over one of my favorite dresses. It's a creamy white with a pink rose pattern scattered over it, and a pastel pink sash rims around the waist in a neat bow. It's perfect. After slipping it on, I choose a pair of nude pumps for my feet, and move to the bathroom to start curling the ends of my hair. I put on my make up as I wait for the curling iron to heat up, and Charlie bursts through the doorway.

"Cat! Cat! I have the greatest idea ever!"

I spin around to face him. "You've had the greatest idea ever a bazillion times!" His excitement is almost tangible, and I can't help but giggle. "Okay, what is it?"

"Alright, for this idea I need to take a horse-"

"Charlie!" I cut him off. "No horses! Remember what happened last time? You're not allowed to go to parades anymore because of it!"

The smile slowly melts off his face, but is jolted right back on again. "Fine, but this other idea is just as good! Are you ready?" I nod, and he takes a deep breath. "Electric… hammers."

"Um… why do we need electric hammers?"

He shrugs. "I figured since we have electric screwdrivers, we should have electric hammers. So…?"

I sway from side to side, thinking of what to tell him. "I don't know. It doesn't sound like a very good idea." I can see the sadness start to take shape in his eyes, and I quickly backpedal. "But what do I know? You're the inventor/scientist!"

He beams at me. "That's right! And I'll make the best electric hammer there ever was! You'll see!" He zips out of the room but quickly pops his head back in. "Thanks, Cat. You look nice today." And he's gone again. My brother is so weird.

After finishing my hair and make up, and eating a quick breakfast, I rush back upstairs to finish getting ready and gather my things for school. I place my books carefully in my bag, and out of the corner of my eye I can see Rex, propped up in my desk chair. Last night I tried sleeping with him, but he's not soft like Mr. Longneck or Mr. Purple, so I just sat him in my chair, instead.

I move over to where he's resting, and lift him into my arms, crushing him in one last embrace before setting him back down. I can't risk bringing him to school, what if something happens to him? But Rex has gone through some pretty rough beatings, like getting sunscreened all over his face, or having his foot deep-fried. He does make me feel braver… I think I'll take him! What harm can it do?

_HONK! HONK!_

Jade's here! I quickly place Rex in my bag and zip it up, flinging it over my shoulder before scuttling out of the house. I open the car door and plop in the passenger seat, Jade zooming off as soon as I slam the door shut. The car ride is silent, except every once in a while Jade would tell me to be quiet because I accidently started humming to myself. I can't help it! I'm so nervous and excited and feel all tingly inside, it just kind of bubbles out!

After arriving at school, I stop by my locker to switch out any books I don't need for those I do. It's difficult working around Rex, but I need him today. I need to be as honest and straightforward as he is, or this will never work.

"What's that?"

I whip around and clutch my bag against my chest, and I'm facing the one person I didn't want to see.

"Um, nothing."

Skylar narrows her eyes and cocks her head to the side, as if she's studying me. I feel like a little bug under a microscope, wiggling under her gaze. I turn back to my locker to zip up my bag, and I swing the metal door closed, it vibrating slightly as it clangs shut.

Once I turn back around, I find that she's moved over to her locker, focused as she arranges her books, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Does she really deserve what I'm going to do? I'm telling her boyfriend that I like him, does that make me a terrible person? I shake my head, feeling the weight of Rex on my back, and remembering that this is what I decided to do. I can't move on until Robbie knows.

Turning my gaze further down the hall, I see that the gang's all there, hanging out in front of Tori's locker as usual. I skip down the hallway and land next to Andre.

"Good morning everyone!"

"Hey, Cat!"

"Morning."

"'Sup, Lil' Red?"

"Good morning."

"Morning, Cat!"

I let out a soft giggle and rock back and forth from my toes to my heels, my eyes landing on Robbie.

"So, Robbie, I was wondering-"

"ROBBIE!" Skylar runs up and jumps into his arms, planting a kiss on his lips, and I feel my stomach twist into little knots. "Robbie, guess what? I got the internship to HotSpot!"

He smiles down at her. "Congratulations! I knew you would!"

She nods, a smile stretched on her face. "Mmhm! I checked my email this morning, and I got in!"

I open my mouth, feeling words on the tip of my tongue, and I want them to spill out, but instead, I press my lips together, keeping them trapped and buzzing in my system. _Not now, Cat, not now_. This is something I need to say to Robbie, alone.

The bell rings, and students scatter to their classrooms. I make my way to Sikowitz's room and glance behind me. Skylar is still chatting with Robbie, playing with his hand, and their fingers slowly unlink as they part ways. Good.

I'm going to have to ask Robbie if we can talk in the janitor's closet for a bit during lunch, or maybe even after school! Since Sikowitz is always a bit late, I can at least ask Robbie that much before class starts.

I set my bag under one of the chairs as Robbie walks in the room. He chooses a seat not far from mine, and I make my way over to him.

"Hey, Robbie, I-"

"Good morning, class!" Sikowitz bursts through the back door next to the stage. Can't a girl get a break?

"Sikowitz, you're actually on time today?" Tori quizzically remarks.

He has a curious expression on his face, then twists his body and stares at the clock behind him. "Good Ghandi, you're right!" He unwinds himself and stares out at his students. "How did that happen?" He sips his coconut a bit before he commands us all to take our seats.

After he puts down his coconut, he claps his hands and rubs them together. "Today class, I thought I'd teach you a bit about performing onstage deaths. Now, one helpful tip is when you fall, fall in a comfortable position. You'll probably be lying there for a while. And keep your head and chest facing away from the audience, so they don't see you breathing or your nose twitching or anything like that. Funny story actually, this one time I…"

Robbie's sitting in the row behind me, and a bit to the side. If I turn around and try to talk to him now, it'll be too obvious. I know! I'll text him! I pull out my phone and start typing out a message.

"Cat!" My head snaps up and Sikowitz is kneeling in front of me. Shoot. "Now Cat, I understand that you and Robbie did a splendiferous job dying in your partner scene," he makes his way back to the stage and leans toward the audience with his hands behind his back, "but I'll have to ask you to put - your phone - away! I'm sure you don't want me to force a continuation of our little bet, now, do we?"

I feel my eyes widen and shake my head violently. "No! I'll put it away!" Living without technology for a week was absolute torture! And I snapped after just a few days! I stuff my phone in my backpack and fold my hands in my lap. The rest of the class went by as it normally does. Well, as normal as Sikowitz's class gets. But I felt fidgety the whole time. How am I supposed to get Robbie alone if no one will let me?

The bell rings, signaling the end of class and everyone clambers out of the room, me being one of the last people out. As I step back into the hallways, Skylar is already attached to Robbie. How did she get here so fast? She's clinging onto him, her forearms resting on his shoulders while a coffee cup dangles from one of her hands, he smiles down at her, and I… I need to calm down! I rush to the restroom and lock myself in one of the stalls.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this, Cat. Seeing him happy with her is phasing you too much! It's… it's not… you've got this. You can do this.

I cling onto my bag, holding it as tight as I can, trying to squeeze some of Rex's magic into me. I feel a little better, but it's not as strong as yesterday. I let out a sigh, and unlock the stall door, moving over to the sinks to wash my hands. I pull out a few paper towels to dry my hands, then stare at myself in the mirror. As I twist one of my curls around my finger, reforming it, someone stands in front of the sink next to mine.

"Hi, Cat."

My head snaps to look at her.

"Uh, hi, Skylar." She moves around the bathroom, and it seems like she's… checking the stalls. All the stalls are empty, but she just went, didn't she? What's the point in checking the stalls?

"So Cat…" she stands right back next to me, placing her cup of coffee on the sink's ledge. "That thing in your bag. Was that Robbie's old puppet?"

I feel my heart drop into my stomach. "No, why would you say that?" I lie, trying to work up a smile for her.

"No reason." I feel Skylar's eyes studying me. "I really like your hair. Does anyone ever tell you that you look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid?"

That totally throws me for a loop. "Um, yeah! I really like that movie! Ariel is one of my favorite princesses and I love all the songs! I sing along every time I watch the movie! But I really just dyed my hair to be the color of red velvet cupcakes."

She nods. "Do you know the original tale of The Little Mermaid?"

My forehead scrunches as I try to remember. I don't think I've ever known any other versions besides the Disney one. "No, I don't…"

"Well, in the original version, the mermaid falls in love with the prince, and trades her voice with the sea witch for a pair of legs, just like in the movie." I nod. "Except in the original, even after spending so much time with the mermaid girl," Skylar pauses, looking directly into my eyes, "the prince falls in love and marries the princess from the neighboring kingdom. Leaving the mermaid heartbroken and all alone."

Her words were dripping with venom, and it felt like she just stabbed me in the chest. _She knows._

"I've been watching you for the past week, staring at me and Robbie together. I don't like it." Her glare freezes me in place. I can't move. "And the fact that you carry around that puppet, and _lied_ about it, just confirms my suspicions. Do you like him? Are you… are you planning on _stealing_ him from me?"

I bite my lip and I shift my gaze anywhere, everywhere, except at her. "N-No, I didn't… I wasn't…" I wish I wasn't such a terrible liar! I thought about how great it would be if Robbie left her to be with me, but… but…

A sudden warmth pours over my head and drips through my hair, over my forehead and sliding down to my chin. My eyes shoot back to Skylar, holding her now empty coffee cup. She shoves it in the garbage bin before throwing her final words to me over her shoulder. "Know your place, mermaid girl."

The bathroom door hisses shut, and my feet are rooted to the floor. I… I'm not sure how to react. I think I'm in shock. I don't even know how long I was standing there, but the bell snaps me out of my trance. Class has started. I finally turn to face myself in the mirror, assessing the damage. The hair on the top of my head is wet and flat, and my curls have straightened from the weight of the coffee. Streaks of brown trickled their way down my dress, staining the pink roses, making them look old and dried and dead. My dress… it's ruined.

I watch as the hot tears that welled in my eyes silently spill down my cheek, mixing with the sticky streams of mocha dribbling down my chin. This isn't how today was supposed to go. It was supposed to be… it was… it was supposed to… to be…

A broken sob escapes my lips as my hand flies to my mouth, and I throw open the bathroom door, dashing for the exit and pushing the steel bar down, breaking free from this place. Run, run, run! Away from here! Away from this! The scenery blurs as I sprint past, through my confusion, through my tears. I can't stop running. Not until this pain in my chest goes away! I need to keep running, and maybe then it won't hurt so much. Maybe when my heartbeat is thundering in my ears and my lungs are gasping for air, when my heart is beating so hard it bursts, maybe then I won't feel so much hurt. Maybe then.

**A/N: So maybe this chapter didn't turn out ****_quite_**** like you thought it would. Like that special present you got on your birthday. Only the present wasn't really a present, just an old cardboard box housing a family of raccoons, who somehow, among the biting and snarling, still managed to curse you and your children's children, despite not knowing English.**

**Still better than that time I tried to eat a tuna sandwich at the beach. Seagulls. Seagulls everywhere. OH MY GOD THE BIRDS THEY'RE GONNA EAT ME ALIVE.**

**So please review while I pick out the feathers from my hair, and maybe make myself another sandwich.**

**P.S. Michelle from Holland? I'm honored you like the story! Yes, I'll try to update more now that I have more time, and it's so incredible that people around the world are reading this. That blows my mind.**


	17. A Beautiful Mess

Cat POV

My heels clatter against the pavement, lungs feeling red and raw, and my muscles are screaming in agony, but I can't stop running. I feel like if I stop, all the little pieces that are barely holding me together are going to fly apart. The wind rushes through my hair, chilled by the dampness of coffee, and my backpack is pounding against my spine with every step. I'm not even sure where I am anymore, but it's still not far enough. Heads turned to watch me pass as I rushed though the streets, but the amount of people I pass becomes fewer and fewer.

I stumble slide to the ground, my heel catching in a crack on the sidewalk, skinning my hands and knees as I try to catch myself. My breath is coming out in sharp, ragged pants, and all the feelings that I've been running away from slowly catch up to me. The tears find their way back to my eyes, creating a fresh, hot trail down my cheek. _Everything hurts._

A whimper escapes my lips as I put pressure on my scraped palms and knees, trying to lift myself back on my feet, but collapse as pain shoots up my leg. My ankle, I must have twisted it. Taking off the shoe from my injured foot, I roll it around in my hands, the heel dangling off the sole, lazily swaying back and forth, taunting me in my misery. All my emotions are throbbing inside me, and I feel my anger start to bubble up, fizzing in my veins. I feel like I'm going to explode! Nothing is turning out right. Why? WHY?

With all the strength I can muster, I hurl my shoe as far as I can, a wrangled cry crawling out from the back of my throat, straining the muscles that already burn from gasping for air. It's not enough! I want to hurt something! I want to tear something apart! I want to smash it until it's dust and dirt and nothing! I want to, I want to…

The anger evaporates from my system, my heartbeat slowing and my breath coming more easily. I just feel so… tired. So drained. Like all the energy I spent has stolen my emotions, too, and I'm only left feeling numb. I don't feel like moving anymore. I don't feel like anything.

I take a look at my surroundings, and it finally registers that I'm in a park. A cool breeze flows over me, making the leaves in the trees shiver and the grass bend in waves. I scoot back onto the grass and grip my wrist, examining the scraped palm. It stings so much. Blood starts to leak out from the wound, mingling with the bits of dirt surrounding the damaged skin, and I feel my eyes prickle.

"I think you dropped something."

That's a boy's voice. I feel him sit down next to me, and I can see from the corner of my eye he's trying to hand me my broken shoe, but I refuse to look up from my palm. I just want to be alone.

"You're Russell's ex, aren't you?"

I feel my eyes widen, and I slowly peek over to the boy beside me. He's that Asian boy from the party. What was his name? I can't remember.

"You know, I've gone over in my head what I would say to you if I ever saw you again, for dumping Russell in the worst possible way. But seeing you like this, I've never been able to kick someone while they're down." He pointed down the street. "I live just over that way. Let's get you bandaged up."

He stands up and holds out his hand for me, waiting for me to take it.

I lick my lips, my mind going in a million directions. "Why?"

"Because you're hurt. And from the looks of that dress, it seems like it wasn't an accident."

I tentatively reach out my hand, gripping onto his, and pull up from the ground. I hiss sharply as the pain from my ankle and scraped knees sear through my legs, pulling on his arm as I start to drop back down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay, so walking won't work. Do you want me to wait while someone picks you up?"

There's no way I'm calling Mom to pick me up, and I can't call Jade, or anyone from school for that matter, because, well, they're in school. Wait, why isn't he?

"Are you ditching school, too?"

"Maybe. And maybe it's a good thing I did. But you didn't answer my question."

I shake my head. "I can't call anyone."

He furrows his brow, then kneels down with his back facing me. "Here, I'll carry you."

I know I was going to go with him before, but I'm not so sure anymore. I mean, the one time I met this guy was one of the worst nights of my life, so how can I trust him? I think he feels me hesitate, because he says, "I'm not going to hurt you. Just wash up those cuts and maybe get you cleaned up." He looks over his shoulder at me. "I'll let you play with my cat, Molly. She's a sweetheart. You like cats, right?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, I like cats." He's smiling at me, and it seems genuine. It reminds me a little of Beck's. I… I feel like I can trust him. "My name is Cat, too."

"And I'm Kent. Now hop on."

I link my arms around his neck and his arms lift me up from under my knees. He starts walking in the direction he pointed to earlier. He's Russell's friend, but he's so different. I'm sure Russell's talked about me, terrible things, but I just want to know.

"Did I really hurt Russell that much?"

"What? Oh. Well, yes and no. He was really beat up about it for a while, but I think you hurt his ego more than his heart. Still, you could have broken up with him in person. Over the phone is just cold."

"I know… It's just… I couldn't be in a relationship when I found out I was in love with someone else."

"See? You could have told him that. You never really explained things to him, and ignored his texts and calls when he just wanted to talk. You seem nice enough, so it doesn't make sense to me."

"I'm sorry. But he's okay?"

He laughed. "Yeah. I'm sure the main reason he keeps calling you is to rub it in your face that he's already found someone else."

"Oh, um, that's good. I'm glad he's okay."

We travel in silence for a while before he speaks up again. "So, do you wanna talk about what happened? With the dress? You don't have to, I'm just curious."

I bite my lip, fighting for what to say. "That… that boy I like ended up having a girlfriend. She found out I liked him, and dumped coffee all over me. It… it hurt."

"Wait, the coffee was still hot?"

I shake my head. "No, it just hurt… inside."

He carries me up the driveway to a tan, two-story house and sets me down as opens the door, stepping inside. I follow him in, limping a little, and notice he kicked off his shoes in the entryway, where many other pairs are sitting by the door. I place my heels with the rest of them.

Kent gestures to a room further in. "You can wash up in the kitchen, I'll go grab the first aid kit."

He clambers up the stairs, and I walk into the kitchen. It looks so pristine. Everything is neat and the marble counters shine so nicely. The counters are cleared of everything, I don't even see any crumbs. I'm so used to seeing my kitchen, littered with empty beer bottles and cans, along with half-eaten frozen food or some weird thing my brother's working on.

I turn on the sink, the warm water washing away the crusted blood on my hands, and it feels refreshing, even though it still stings a little. The paper towels sit right beside the sink, so I rip one off and dampen it with the water, bringing it to my knees to clean the cuts there. I even wash the dribbles of coffee off my face, and I'm carefully drying myself with paper towels when Kent enters the room with a small box in his hands.

"Here, take a seat." He moves over to the table, where wooden chairs colored in ivory paint are tucked neatly underneath. He pulls one out and swings it around, so it's facing away from the table. I sit down and he kneels in front of me before he opens the box, pulling out a small tube and applying the cooling ointment to my flayed hands.

"You're awfully trusting, you know that? I could have been a serial killer."

"I don't think so. You remind me of one of my friends."

He plasters a bandaid on my palm and smiles. "You mean that boy of yours?"

"No, someone else. But that boy isn't really mine. Not anymore. Not since stupid _Skylar_ had to come into the picture and ruin everything. Literally! She ruined my dress!"

Kent flinched while I was talking, and after he bandaged my other hand he looked up at me. "Is her name Skylar Greene? Wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, about this tall?" He held up his hand to about her height.

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

He chuckled coldly. "Skylar does ruin everything. She ruined my life." He ran a hand through his raven-colored hair and sighed before starting up again. "She was my girlfriend once-upon-a-time. I figured out that she only dated me because my sister, she's in college now, but when she was here she worked at the Carriage Factory. I was able to get Skylar major discounts on products and sometimes even get her something for free. As soon as Skylar had a closet full of handbags, and whatever else she wanted, she dumped me like a sack of potatoes. While we were together, though, she practically destroyed every relationship I had with anyone else, so I could only rely on her. It took me forever to build them back up again, but it's still not the same."

"She… she did that? That's terrible!"

"Yeah." He applies the ointment to my knees. "So this new guy must have something she wants. Do you have any idea what it could be?"

I go over and over in my mind what Robbie could possibly possess that she might want. Then it clicks. "The internship!" I gasp. "She wants to work for Robbie's mom at HotSpot magazine!"

"That would do it." He glazes another bandaid onto me. "Internships usually last a while, and even afterwards he would still be a good connection. Sorry, Cat, but she's got her claws in this one, and I don't think she's gonna let him go for a while."

"I'll tell him what she's really like! He'll believe me! He has to!"

Kent looks up at me with pity in his eyes. "I didn't believe my friends when they told me. She puts on one hell of a sweet face, and fed me lies, making me turn against them. I chose to believe her, and I ended up cutting myself off from the people trying to protect me. She makes you do crazy things, and you don't even realize how stupid they were until you wake up from her spell. She manipulates people for her benefit, and I was just another puppet for her to play with until she got bored."

"But I'll try! I have to try! She can't just do that!"

He gestures to my dress. "Yes she can. And look where that's gotten you."

**A/N: WHOA! Whoa now! Holy cannoli, you did ****_not_**** see that coming! Well, a few of you did. Actually, I'm sure more than a few of you. So... good for you!**

**But now I want a cannoli. Which sounds like ravioli. A ravioli cannoli. IT WAS MY IDEA I CALLED IT DIBS ON THE IDEA.**

**So review while I attempt to create a ravioli cannoli, which will probably just end up with me making a complete mess of my kitchen while I cry in the corner stuffing chocolate in my face. Like most Friday nights.**


	18. Bend Until It Breaks

Cat POV

Kent… I didn't realize Skylar could be such a gank. I mean, I didn't like her already, but now, I think I hate her. And I don't hate anybody! She's Jade-level mean, but at least Jade is open with her mean-ness. Skylar is all sneaky and two-faced, and she scares me. She scares me because she can take Robbie away from me, farther away than he already is. And I don't think I would be able to handle it if she did.

It's been about two weeks since I told Kent about Skylar, and I've been following his advice. He told me if I try and fight her, try and tear her and Robbie apart, it'll only make her force her way into his heart that much faster. It's like she's a snake, coiling tighter and tighter around her victim, spewing her venom at those who come too close. I can only wait until she grows weary of her prize and slithers away, then try and pick up the pieces she left behind. It only makes it that much more painful to see them together, knowing the outcome, and I can't stand it! I have to get away from her, from him.

When it's just Robbie, I want to kiss him, hold his hand, do _something_, but I have to stop myself. He has a girlfriend he thinks he loves, and she will destroy me if I try anything like that. I only want to be next to him, just to see his smile, hear his laugh, I really do! But not like this. Not while I can see her toxins pulsing through him.

I slide into Jade's car, ready to go to school and slam the door closed. I throw my bag in the backseat and do a double take when I see what's sitting there.

"Jade," I say slowly, "what is that?"

"Nothing." She shifts the car in drive and zooms off.

I twist around in my chair to get a better look at it. A toolbox is resting in one of the seats, and I can see what looks like a bunch of different colored paints and balloon rubbers though a plastic grocery bag, and some electronic stuff I don't recognize. A pair of scissors sits on top of the toolbox. I know those scissors. Those are her revenge scissors.

I turn back around and face her. "Jade, you promised."

"I know, but she-"

"You _promised!_"

Her grip tightens on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. "You should be thankful I held out this long! I know your cuts are all healed up, but she's not supposed to do those things! Only I am! What she did to you, _you_, I just…"

She lets her sentence hang there, frustration in her voice, but I know what she meant. Even though she never admits it, I'm her best friend. And she's mine.

"Jade, I told you! If we fight back, she'll win!"

"Well, maybe I want to lose!"

"But I don't! If we lose, we'll lose Robbie! And I can't, I can't lose him! _Please_ Jade! He's already so far away!"

"Says the girl who's running away from him."

"Jade!" She sighs. "Please?"

"Fine! I won't do anything! But you're missing out. This plan was a good one."

We continue the drive in silence, and I can feel the anger radiating out of Jade. You can't trust Jade with a lot of things, but when she says she'll do something, she always keeps her word. You can't get her to make promises very often, but when you do, you can expect her to keep them.

We park the car and she bursts through the doors of Hollywood Arts, me trailing close behind. She pushes an unexpecting Sinjin against the wall, the paper flyers crinkling and falling to the floor as she storms to her locker.

Poor Sinjin. He's usually the one she redirects her anger to. He's kind of an easy target and he always bounces back, like one of those inflatable punching bags! I had one once, but it had a clown on it and my brother thought it was an intruder one night so he smashed it with a lamp. It didn't inflate again after that.

I skip up to Jade, and she's already arranging the books in her locker. "So, what were you going to do to her anyway?"

"Does it matter? You're not going to let me do it." She looks up from her bookbag and her gaze is drawn to something behind me, turning her stare to a menacing scowl. I know what I'm going to see, but I look anyways. Skylar is hanging off Robbie's arm, and it's like they're in their own little bubble.

"I… I've gotta go to my own locker. I'll see you in class." I scurry down the halls, leaving Jade behind. She's right. I am running away. But I can't stop myself! It just hurts too much to stay.

…

Robbie POV

I see a flash of red out of the corner of my eye. My head snaps upward and I barely catch a glimpse of her. Cat. I've barely seen her lately, and when I do, she's so distant and never stays for long. I guess she really took it to heart when I asked her to lay off a bit with the affection, since Skylar could take it the wrong way. But even before that she was acting weird. Like she ditched school that one day, and the day after her hands and knees were bandaged. All she told me was that she fell, and she usually babbles on about whatever she's talking about. And, let me repeat, she _ditched_. She never misses class! Sure, she doesn't always pay attention, but she's still there, no matter what.

She refuses to talk to me about it, about that day, no matter how many times I ask her. This from a girl who loves spilling every detail, I can't help but wonder if she's mad at me. Or if I hurt her. She's one of my best friends, she wouldn't just stop talking to me for no reason, would she? Cat is an open book, but these new pages are scribbled and messy, making it so hard to read.

"Robbie? Are you listening?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Skylar huffs and brushes a stray lock of hair from her face. "I asked if you could pick me up from HotSpot today, and if you wanted to go to Nozu's afterwards."

"Yeah, sure, sounds great. Hey, do you think Cat's been acting weird lately?"

She pauses, casting her gaze downwards, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as her eyes cloud over in thought. Her words are careful and spaced out. "I don't think so. Why?"

"It just seems like she's avoiding me."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Her head snaps back up to look at me, and her voice goes back to its usual pep. "Why would she be avoiding you?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Well stop worrying. I'm sure it's nothing. If she wants to talk to you about it, she will."

"Yeah, I guess so."

The bell rings, and Skylar gives me a quick peck on the cheek before leaving for her class. After entering Sikowitz's, I set my bag down and plop in one of the chairs. My eyes are focused on the door and after a while, Cat steps though the entryway, fiddling with the straps dangling from her backpack. I wave to her and she sees me, so I smile and point to the seat next to mine. She returns the smile, but it's like she's forcing it, and the usual radiance of her smile is just a flickering glow, the gleam not quite reaching her eyes.

She passes me by and starts chatting with Andre, then sits next to him, instead. That's it, I've had it! I'm forcing her to talk to me, one way or another.

Sikowitz calls on people to act out scenes onstage as usual, but my focus keeps turning to the redhead on the other side of the room. I've caught her staring at me a few times, and she always looks away immediately. As soon as class ends, she's the first one out the door, practically running over everyone in her way. Guess I'll have to catch her later. And when I say catch her, I really do mean catch her. She's too good at slipping away.

The day goes by slowly, and I find myself glancing at the clock every two minutes. It takes ages for even an hour to pass, so each class session feels like an eternity! Finally the bell for lunch rings, and I sneak my way down the halls. Cat is fumbling with the dial to open her locker, and I wrap my arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

"Gotcha!"

"Wha? Robbie?" She starts struggling against my grip, but I'm already halfway to the janitor's closet. "What are you doing? Put. Me. Down! _Please!_"

I manage to turn the knob and enter the closet, setting her back down on her feet, and I make sure to stand in front of the door so she won't escape. Her eyes keep darting to the doorknob and she starts playing with the ends of her hair. She knows I've got her.

"So, what's bugging you?"

"What? Nothing's bugging me! Did you know that cows can walk upstairs, but not downstairs? Weird, right?"

"Cat, stop changing the subject." My voice comes out harsher than I intended, and she bites her lip, refusing to look at me. "Cat, Cat, c'mon. Talk to me."

"I told you! Nothing's wrong!" Her fingers continue to twist around her hair, desperation laced in her voice.

"Something has to be wrong. You're acting a little weird."

"You think I'm weird?!"

"No! Cat, I… why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes, you are."

"Robbie, I'm hungry. Can't we just go to lunch?"

"Not until you tell me what's the matter."

She pauses, and with her head still tilted downwards, she looks up at me. Cat's staring at me with shifting eyes, as if she's trying to look into both of my eyes at once, like she's trying to find something in them. I'm searching for answers in her eyes, too, watching the emotions rippling in the deep chocolate brown, but suddenly she bolts for the door. I press my back against the door, preventing her from opening it, then grab her arms, pushing her further back into the closet while she presses against me, struggling to get to the exit.

"Cat, please!?"

"No! Let me go!"

"I thought we were friends, but you won't talk to me! What, are you mad at me? What did I do wrong?"

Cat stops fighting and shakes her head, ruby hair flying over her shoulders. "I wish I was mad…"

I let go of her, her arms dropping to her sides and eyes fixing on the floor.

"You wish you were mad? Cat, what does that mean? Are you sad? Upset? What? What are you?"

Cat's lower lip trembles, her mouth fighting against her words, and she inhales sharply. The gap between us closes so fast, so easily, her lips soft as they press against mine. My mind's a blank. I should be doing something. I should say something! I can't move. It feels like my brain short-circuited, a spark and a flash, completely shutting down, leaving me with only sensation. My eyes close automatically, reeling in her bubblegum lipgloss and her hands on the back of my head, pressing us together. My hands hover over her waist, and too soon, Cat pulls back, our lips making a soft noise as they part. I watch as she moves away, her fingers sliding down the back of my neck, voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm too late."

She slips past me, the door shutting with a click behind her. I… I'm frozen. My brain flashes awake, and all the questions and confusion have sent it into overdrive, burning through my head so fast that nothing makes any sense, making everything melted and muddled and messed up. Standing in the closet, dazed and alone, the first discernible thoughts that flicker in my mind are bubblegum lips, chocolate brown eyes, and Skylar. Oh my God, Skylar. I have a girlfriend. What the hell am I going to do?

**A/N: Gee, what ****_is _****he going to do? Scary when the author asks that, because if the author doesn't know, than who does?**

**If you think you do, HOW DARE YOU PRESUME TO KNOW MORE THAN ME DEAR READER FISTICUFFS BATTLE RIGHT NOW.**

**Rest assured, I do have an idea of what will happen next. And if you haven't already, you should buy Ariana's single "The Way" off iTunes at this very moment. Raced to #1 within 7 hours of it's release here in the US. That's insane.**

**_I love the way, I love the way, baby, I love the way, I love the way, the way you review me!_**** (My own special version, from me to you.)**


	19. Swimming in Thought

Robbie POV

She kissed me. Cat… Cat kissed me. All I was trying to do was get her to open up to me, tell me what's wrong, and she… _kissed_ me. I'm not sure what I expected to happen, but I was far from prepared for… that.

I collapse on my bed then roll over to stare at the ceiling, and absentmindedly lick my lips. Bubblegum. It's faint, but the taste is still there. She… I… it wasn't an accident. She wanted to do it, and I let her. I… I wanted to keep going. The memory floods back to me, her lips soft and warm, gentle, and the next second she's gone, her words echoing in my head.

_"I'm too late."_

What… what the hell? I try to ask her out, she goes out with other guys, and all of a sudden when I'm not available she wants me? And the worst part is… I still want her, too. But what if this is just a fluke? What if she only thinks she likes me now and moves on later? She does seem to bounce around from guy to guy, but…

Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I have a girlfriend. A perfectly nice, wonderful girl who likes me. I just… it's just… why, Cat? Why now? I need to talk to somebody… But who?

It's times like this I regret giving up Rex. It was for the best, but he was still my closest friend. Even if he was just a puppet. He was someone to talk to, to sort things out with. His opinions, although completely different from mine, really did help pinpoint my own feelings. I asked Jade a while back what she ended up doing with him, and she simply gave me a devilish smile and said, "I could tell you, but you'd probably faint from shock," then walked away. Poor guy. Rest in peace, old friend.

But who to talk to… maybe I should ask Beck. Beck would know what to do. At least I hope so. He's the most level-headed out of all of us… Huh. I can't remember the last time we hung out. I can't remember the last time I hung out with anyone from the gang, really, since I haven't sat with them at lunch lately, and Skylar's always making plans with me. Skylar's been making me sit with her friends, and she just gets this look when I try to cancel one of our dates. I can't say no to her.

I sit up and pull out my pearphone, dialing Beck's number. After a few rings, he picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Beck, can you talk?"

"Yeah man, what's up?"

"Well, um, I… uh…" How should I start this? That one of my best friends kissed me while I have a girlfriend, and have no idea how to react? That I feel myself being torn in half, the two parts bubbling and swirling, like water and oil, making me feel sick to my stomach?

"Tell you what." He snaps me from my thoughts. "Why don't you come over to my RV and you can think about what you want to say on the way over. Sound good?"

"Yeah! Sounds great. Thanks."

"No problem."

"See you in a bit!"

"Bye."

I hang up then head downstairs and grab my keys, making sure to lock the front door. I hop in my car, and it doesn't take long before I pull up in front of his house. The RV is sitting in the driveway, as usual, so I walk up and knock on his door. When he opens it up, he's mid-conversation on his phone but motions me inside, closing the door behind me.

"Yeah, I understand it's just… uh-huh, okay. Well, if you felt that way, you should have told me before we went… I'm sorry I didn't know!…" He squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm not raising my voice, at you. It's just… Tori, Tori listen. Look, Robbie's here and I need to hang up, but we can talk about this later, alright?… Yeah, okay. Talk to you soon, bye."

Beck presses the end call button and stares at the screen, letting out a deep sigh. He turns to me. I had sat down on his couch against the wall, unsure of what else to do.

"Sorry about that. So, what's up?"

"Was I interrupting? Because, I mean-"

"No, don't worry about it. She just called me up a little while ago, and I told her as soon as I picked up that you were coming over. It's just that Tori's been a bit… difficult, lately."

"I had no idea you two were having problems."

"Yeah, well," he runs a hand through his hair, "it's not as obvious as when I was feuding with Jade. That girl was always very public with her anger. But the thing is, I always knew exactly where I stood with her. With Tori it's all very… secret. She gets mad at me, and I have no idea why she's mad at me, but she expects me to figure it out. And when she tells me, she gets frustrated that I didn't know what she wanted in the first place!"

He lets out another sigh and sits down on the other side of the couch. "Sorry for ranting. You needed to talk?"

I nod. "Yeah. Something… happened today."

"What? What'd Skylar do?"

"She didn't do anything. Why? What makes you think Skylar did something?" Skylar has been saying they've been treating her badly, and not to worry about it, but I don't know. Maybe coming to Beck wasn't such a good idea.

"I don't know. Andre and I just don't like the vibe I get from her. None of the girls like her either, and they won't give a good reason why. Cat's been acting especially weird whenever Skylar's brought up in the conversation, and she either looks down or at Jade or Tori, and changes the topic immediately. You'd know what I'm talking about if you took the time to hang out with us. I was actually pretty surprised when you called me up just now."

"So you have something against Skylar?"

"No, why would you think that? We just don't know her that well, and we miss having you around. You haven't been the greatest friend since she came in the picture, if you know what I mean. You've blown us off countless times for her these past few weeks."

"I… I guess I have. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. Just don't disappear on us, okay?"

I nod. "Yeah. Okay. But, my problem isn't with Skylar. It's… it's with Cat."

"Cat? Why would you have a problem with Cat?"

"I think I know why she's been acting weird. Today, she… she kissed me."

Beck's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa. She kissed you? That's… wow. So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know! That's the thing! I've been in a relationship, and things have been going pretty well, but the girl I've liked for what seems like forever suddenly does that! It makes no sense!" I rest my elbows on my knees, burying my head in my hands. "Life sucks."

There's a pause before Beck speaks up again. "She kissed you, so she likes you."

"Yeah. I figured that much."

"So the real question is, do you still like her?"

I lift my head and stare at my hands. "I'm not sure. I do, I think, maybe. Cat's always been a puzzle to me, and just when I thought I'd figured her out, she turns into something completely different. She's impossible! And I'm with Skylar now, and she's cool, and smart, and funny but… she's not Cat." I turn to look at Beck. "Do you think it's possible to love two people at the same time?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Beck's hard, thoughtful face softened a little, and he leaned back his head with a sigh. "I kinda went through the same thing. Tore me apart trying to figure it out. But you know what I think?" He paused and looked back to me. " I think you have to figure out who you love more. Because you love them both, but in different ways, right?"

I nod.

"So think about the differences between the ways you feel. Weigh them out. What feels right, what feels better. Take some time for yourself to think about it. It may not work out, but you have to make your own decision. But try not to think too much. Go with your heart."

"I think that is the sappiest thing I've ever heard you say."

He laughed and gave a small shrug. "It's true though. At least in my opinion."

We just watched TV and talked a bit more after that, and he ended up telling me about his problems with Tori. He said their relationship has been under pressure for a while. Beck thinks it's slowly breaking down and he's doing his best to keep it going, but he's not sure if things will last if their meaningless squabbles keep going on like this. I guess I missed that in all my time spent with Skylar.

After a while, the alarm on my phone goes off, reminding me to pick up Skylar from HotSpot.

"Hey Beck, I gotta go. I have to pick up Skylar."

"She's got you leashed, doesn't she?"

I chuckle. "I guess she does." I get up and walk to the door when Beck shouts out, "Remember what I told you! Give yourself some alone time to think about it!"

"I will! It's probably the only thing I'll be able to think about at all. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you later."

I climb into my car, and start driving to HotSpot. Once I pull onto the freeway, I speed up, watching as the white stripes start to blur into a single line. I wish all of this confusion could be like this; my disconnected thoughts would simply melt together into a straight conclusion. But it isn't that simple. No matter how much I wish it was.

Skylar's the only girl that's actually shown any interest in me, and is always trying to hang out with me, which is really saying something. I love her, at least I think I love her. She's definitely out of my league, and I'm lucky as cheese to be dating her. But Cat has that pull, I'm constantly drawn to her, there's something about her that makes her so alluring. I can't quite put my finger on it, but all I know is when she kissed me, I felt that spark that everyone talks about. It felt like electricity was pouring through my veins, but it didn't make me feel powerful. It made me weak. I felt like I was melting, and none of my muscles seemed to work.

I pull up to HotSpot and pick up Skylar, driving to Nozu's for dinner, as promised. The host leads us to our table and hands us the menu, then leaves. It's not even a minute before Skylar folds up her menu and puts it back down.

"I've been to this place so many times, I've basically memorized this menu. I know what I want to order. How about you? Do you know what you want?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

**A/N: Sorry sorry sorry for the late update! The last few days of my break were a whirlwind of activity and once I got back to school, it was like a swift kick to the face with everything I needed to do. This quarter I've really hit the ground running. So um, yeah. **

**This story is moving in baby steps. Small, wobbly, drunken baby steps, that usually result in falling and crying for hours on end. I was a difficult child. And adult. **

**So as always, I will beg you to review, else I may throw one of my famous 3-year-old tantrums. And by that, I mean it lasts for three years. It's not pretty.**


	20. Puppetmaster

Robbie POV

My glasses are pushed up as I rub my palms against my closed eyelids. I haven't gotten much sleep. During the day I'm exhausted and feel like I'm going to collapse at any second, but as soon as I lay down to rest, my mind can't seem to settle down. All I can think about is Cat and Skylar.

I've made several lists of pros and cons for each girl, just to try and get some sense of clarity on this whole situation, but it's not really working. All I have to show for it is a waste bin filled with crumpled paper and dots of ink on my hands. I've figured out how I feel about each of them, but choosing one over the other? It's killing me.

I figure that loving Skylar is like a straight line. It's comfortable, it's nice, I'm happy. I'm safe. She's already my girlfriend, so she's the obvious choice, right? But my mind keeps wandering back to Cat and everything we've gone through. And the thing is, our relationship so far hasn't really been easy at all; it's not even close to stable. It's more like a heart monitor. One moment I'm flying, the next I'm lower than I've ever felt before. It's terrifying. Absolutely insane! But that's who Cat is. She never stays still for one second, and I think that's why I'm so drawn to her. She greets the world like she's experiencing everything for the first time, and it makes me want to stand by her and feel these things with her. I… I thought I loved Skylar. I thought I was over Cat. But now, there are question marks strung behind those statements, and it's driving me crazy.

I turn and press my forehead against my locker, eyes still closed, and I can feel my head throbbing. My body is screaming at me to get some sleep, but my brain isn't cooperating at all! I'm seriously considering some form of sedation at this point. Maybe I should-

"HEY!"

I practically jump out of my skin and lose balance, falling to the floor in a dazed heap. Standing over me is the Queen of Darkness herself, hands resting on her waist and her lips curved slightly upwards.

"What do you want, Jade?" I grumble.

"Looks like someone's not having a very good morning."

"Yeah, well-"

"I don't care." That hint of a smile dropped from her face completely. "I need you to fix one of the cordless mics in the Blackbox theater. I'm directing a show, and we really need that extra mic, so get up."

I groan internally. "Don't you usually get Sinjin to do this kind of stuff? And why'd you ask me?"

"You do that tech thing outside of school, so you should know how to work with the electronics. And as for Sinjin, he's not here today. He injured himself doing one of those stupid workout videos he puts on the Slap. I'm pretty sure he's in the hospital." She has a wistful look in her eye as her lips part to show a toothy grin. "It really is a great video. There's no way he can get the bloodstains out of those idiotic tights."

I wince. Sometimes I forget just how terrifying she can be.

"Fine, I'll help. Do you have the keys so we can get to the equipment room?"

She holds up a small ring of keys and jangles them in front of my face. "Way ahead of you. Now get up."

Grudgingly, I pull myself back onto my feet, and follow Jade to the Blackbox Theater. She's texting as she goes, and normally I'd be concerned about her running into somebody, but she's Jade West. Everyone scurries out of her path; they know better than to get in her way.

We open the doors to the Blackbox Theater and walk behind the large black curtains, climbing down the stairwell underneath the stage. After walking past the dressing rooms, we stop at the end of the hallway and face the storage room filled with sound equipment. Jade fumbles with the keys, trying to stuff each of them into the lock before one finally works. She opens the door and it swings outward, so I step in the closet while she attempts to pull the key out of the doorknob. But something seems a little off.

"Hey Jade, the lights are still on in here. How long do you think…?" I turn just in time to see her smirk at me then slam the door. I twist the knob. Locked. "Jade? JADE! Open up, this isn't funny!" I start pounding on the door, frantic. Is she just going to leave me here? I wouldn't put it past her. Wait a minute… my phone! I can call Skylar or Beck or… where's my phone? It's not in my pocket. It's always in my pocket! "JADE!" I pound against the door again. "JADE! WHERE'S MY PHONE?!"

"You mean this nice, dark blue pearphone XT? You really shouldn't sleep against the lockers like that. It's too tempting. Oh, and 1234? C'mon, Robbie, you should know better than to make that your passcode."

I feel a chill rush through my veins. Jade has my phone. She is going through my phone. She is the last person _anyone_ wants going through their phone. I don't think I have anything to hide, but she sniffs out blackmail better than a bloodhound.

"Jade, _please_ let me out!"

No answer.

"Jade?... JADE!" I hammer my fist against the door a few more times, then let my arms fall limp to the sides. She's gone.

_"Enjoy the show, Shapiro."_

I whip around. That's Jade's voice, but where…?

My eyes settle on a small white box. It's a speaker station that techies use to communicate with the crew backstage. The box is sitting on top of a decent sized TV, and the view of the Blackbox Theater is being broadcast to the TV screen, and I can see Jade walk into the frame. There's a note taped to the screen, so I pull it off and bring it closer to decipher the scribbled letters.

_The mic is broken on the speaker station, so don't bother. -Jade_

That's just great. I'm trapped in here with no way to talk to anyone. And what did she mean by "enjoy the show"? I watch the screen for a while, Jade lounging in a chair facing the where the double doors would be.

_"I see you there. Don't try and run away."_

_"Who said I was running away?"_

My eyes are locked onto the screen. There, taking slow confident steps toward Jade, is none other than Skylar. My heart drops to my stomach, and I start to feel sick. I'm paralyzed where I stand, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Whatever this is, it's not going to end well.

…

Jade POV

She's trying so hard to act tough, it's laughable. This is going to be easier than I thought. The clack of her heeled boots echo through the empty theater as she makes her way over to me.

"So glad you could make it." My voice drones over to her, but I can't hide the slight smile in my voice. God, I love playing the villain.

She stops a few feet from where I sit. "What are you talking about? Robbie texted me that he…" I can see the wheels turning in her head, and the sudden _click_ of realization. Now she's getting it.

"Yeah, I knew I had to use Robbie's phone to call you here, otherwise you wouldn't have come. Isn't that right?"

Skylar stiffens as she pulls her shoulders back. "No, that's not true!" Her voice came out a little louder than she probably intended. She's still afraid of me. Good.

I rise out of my seat and close the gap between us just a little more. "I don't like how you've been treating Cat."

Her composure is slowly being tied back together after the mere sight of me shattered it. She sticks out her chin and smirks at me. "What, you mean the coffee incident? I was just borrowing a play from your book, Jade. You didn't seem to mind when you did the same thing to Tori."

"But that's Tori! She deserved it! Doing those types of things to Cat is like kicking a puppy! You just don't do it."

"She's a threat to me like Tori was a threat to you. And by the looks of it, you lost."

I feel this tight ball of anger expand inside me. My voice comes out like a snarl.

"The only reason I'm not beating the shit out of you right now is because I promised Cat I would not lay a hand you, or destroy you socially."

"And… destroying me socially means you can't tell anybody about this, right?"

I glower at her, and she knows she's right. A spark lights up in her eyes, and I can tell she thinks she's invincible. Perfect.

"How sad, I never expected you to take orders from a girl with the mental capacity of a three-year-old."

"You better take that back." I growl at her; she has no right to insult Cat in this way. "Cat is brilliant at what she does, and is ten times the person you can ever hope to be. At least she _cares_ about Robbie!"

"I care about Robbie."

"You care about HotSpot. His connections."

"Whatever." She waves a hand, dismissing me. "What difference does it make? I have a boyfriend that gives me an advantage, and he gets the perfect girlfriend. Everyone wins. Besides, why do you care about all this? I thought you liked watching people suffer."

"I like watching people bleed and injured, not whatever this is. Because this is annoying as hell to watch, and I'm done."

"What are you going to do about it? You can't hurt me, you can't spread rumors, or even the truth about me!"

"No I can't. But I can get you to tell Robbie everything. And he will know you don't love him."

She laughs, the sound sharp and bitter. "Like I would ever tell Robbie any of this. We're perfectly happy, and he's a _nice guy_. He wouldn't dump me to run into the arms of another girl. Let's face it. You can't touch me."

Checkmate.

"You hear that, Robbie? I hope you did, because she sure ain't gonna say it twice."

I watched as her presumptuous mask faltered and fell away, revealing a writhing turmoil of confusion, hurt, and anger. "W-what?"

"That's right. He heard everything. Every. Last. Word." I reveal the mic I had hidden in my clothes, and she rushes to me, clinging to my arm.

"Where is he? Let me explain! I do love him, I-"

"SHUT UP." She flinches and immediately releases me. I can't believe I saw this girl as a challenge.

"You hurt my friend. I could have been a flaming hellcat but I like to keep my word, so I settled for playing manipulator, like you were doing with Robbie. And you danced along so much better than I could have hoped." I could see her shrink under my gaze. God, she's so pathetic. "Next time you want to play badass bitch, know who you're dealing with. Because this is my game, and I never lose."

I keep my gaze fixed on hers as I speak into the mic. "Robbie, there's a spare key under the mop bucket. You can let yourself out."

I brush past her shoulder, exiting the Blackbox Theater. Ball's in your court Robbie. Don't be an idiot.

**A/N: Hey, long time no see! Wait, no read? No write? I think it's no write, because I'm the writer and... yeah. Point is, it's been a month since I last updated, and for that I truly apologize. Never take accounting, law, and advanced business classes all at the same time while being actively involved in club activities. Unless you hate sleep.**

**I haven't given myself the opportunity to even ****_think_**** about this story, and I just finished my midterms (yes midterms, I still have a month of school left. My university is on the quarter system) so I'm back! Ish.**

**Thank you for your patience, and impatience, and for sticking around. You are beautiful and I love you all. I'll try to update more frequently, because I really want to finish this story! While you wait, may I recommend reading Sweeney7760's work? I believe she's an excellent writer and storyteller, and she'll probably be much kinder to you than I've been.**

**Geez, this is a long author's note. You're pretty dedicated to be reading this. Oh, and I turned 20, so that's a thing. **

**Review if you must, even if it is just the keyboard equivalent to angry sobs.**


	21. Hopes

Cat POV

I don't know why I did it. Kissed him, that is. I'm such an idiot. One rule, _one rule_ and I couldn't even do that much! Don't do anything until Skylar is gone. That was all I had to do, or not do, and I failed. He… I… why is he so nice to me? Why does he have to care about me, worry about me? Why did he have to get me alone, get so close, and stare at me like I mattered? It's not fair. It's not fair that he belongs to someone else, some gank that doesn't even love him. If only he would… no. He wouldn't leave her. He's happy with her. I can't let myself hope for this, because it… it hurts too much. Every time I see them together, it's just another reminder how stupid I was, not seeing how I really felt for him. And now that I know, now that I care, he's already moved on.

I finally understand why they call it a crush. Crush is the perfect word. It feels like my heart is gripped by some invisible vice, squeezing it into mush and making my chest feel dull and heavy. Is this how Robbie felt when I dated other guys? I… I'm a terrible human being. How could I let him feel this way? How did I never notice? If I tell him the truth about Skylar, will he feel this hurt, too? Because if that's the case, I'll never tell him. I never want to be the one to make him feel like this ever again.

But he deserves to know, right? Maybe I should tell him. But would he believe me, or would he just think I'm lying to get them to break up? I mean, I would be trying to break them up, but he should know the truth, right? Why can't I just be happy for him? I'm so selfish.

When I kissed him, I thought that maybe… maybe he started to kiss me back. It was so tentative, so soft, I'm not even sure it was there. It probably wasn't. But what if he does love me? No, Cat, stop thinking about it! You'll only get hurt. He's not yours. I just wish…

My phone rings, and I answer it with less enthusiasm than usual, not even bothering to check who it is. I'm still so confused. I've been thinking about him all day. I've never felt like this before, I just feel so… lost. If only I had someone to compare it to! The boys before, sometimes I'd be really sad, but this is different. This hurts.

"Cat speaking!" I say, my cheer a little forced.

"Hey, Cat. Can you meet me at my house in like… half an hour?"

It's Robbie. Why does he have to make it so hard to avoid him? I have to say no.

"Sure! I'll see you then!" What? No!

"Okay, great. See you."

He hangs up. I wordlessly stare at the screen. My mouth has betrayed me. Should I go? I could always make up an excuse not to go… but I really want to see him.

I wish I had a car. At least he said half an hour; I can walk to his place in that time. It's not that far away. It'll even give me some time to think. I check myself in the mirror before I leave, brushing my hair forward so it rests in front of my shoulders. After racing down the stairs I grab my bag and start walking.

It's a nice day. The sun is just about to set and a chill is settling in. I like this time of day. I can feel the last rays of the sun warming my back as a gentle breeze tickles my skin. Even though my feet are steadily moving me forward following the path to Robbie's house, my mind is still in turmoil. Even though I want to be happy for him… I still hope… it's stupid. He's got Skylar, and there's no way he's leaving her for me. I just have to accept it.

Why does he want to see me anyway? I think he… I think he's going to break up with me. I mean, we're not really together, but I was out of line, kissing him when he has a girlfriend! This is it. She did it. She's making him leave me.

My feet have grown heavy by the time I reach his house. Even if I turn around, this conversation will happen eventually. He's always been able to trap me, so I might as well let it happen now. Robbie opens the door almost as soon as I knock, nervously welcoming me inside. He leads me to the theater room, and I watch him pace back and forth as I sit meekly on the couch. My body's buzzing with anxiety, anticipating what's about to happen, what I'm going to hear.

Finally, he sighs, turning to me. "I broke up with Skylar."

Stunned doesn't even begin to describe my reaction. I can't even process his words. "W-what?"

"Skylar and I broke up. She… she never loved me."

He sits next to me, leaning against his forearms and staring at his open palms. I wish I could read his expression! I reach out to touch him, brush back his hair, but I flinch, scared, and bring my hand back down to my lap.

"I… I'm so sorry."

He looks up at me, distraught. "Did you know? That she was using me?"

I feel my heart sink with guilt. I can't turn away from his gaze, but my tongue feels heavy, like lead, making me unable to speak. I nod soundlessly, and he sighs.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I open my mouth to speak, but he raises his hand, cutting me off. "You know what? Never mind. I think it's better this way." He gives me a meek smile. "Everything has become clear now. That day… when you kissed me… I haven't been able forget it at all."

I'm frozen, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Cat, what I'm trying to say is… I want to be with you."

My mind's a blank. My heart starts beating, too fast, my voice almost a whisper. "Really?"

Robbie smiles. "Yes, really."

I lean in closer, this thing pent up inside me. He… he wants _me_. He wants to be with me. Robbie tilts his face towards me, and it all feels like a dream. This is too good to be real. I lick my lips, my breath shaky, eyes flickering shut as my lips press against his. My arms tremble from where they're supporting me as I lean in closer, his lips moving against mine. His hand moves to my knee, and I swear my spine has turned to rubber. I shift forward a little and feel my arms begin to buckle, so I press my hands against his chest, sliding them up until my fingers lace behind his neck, deepening the kiss. His hands move up to my waist and my breath hitches. I break away from the kiss, panting, and he leans his forehead against mine.

"Cat, I… that was… wow."

I giggle and peck his lips. "Yeah. Wow."

"I have a surprise for you. Do you want to see?"

I nod, more giggles bubbling out of me, and he takes my hand. Our fingers lace together and pure bliss washes over me, because our hands fit together so nicely. So perfectly, as if they were made for each other.

He leads me to the dining room, and I gasp, covering my mouth with my free hand. The table is draped with a clean, white cloth, and a small vase of roses sits in the center. Two chairs sit on either side, a napkin neatly folded in front of them, and the dimmed lights make the flickering brightness of the candles that much more beautiful, as the shadows dance upon the walls from their quivering light. Robbie ushers me forward, dropping my hand only to pull out a chair. I sit, and he helps push my chair in, then I turn to face him.

"Robbie, I-"

"Hold on a minute. One last thing."

He rushes to the kitchen, and when he comes back, he is holding two plates of pasta. Placing one of the dishes in front of me, he sets the other down at his place and takes the seat across from mine.

"Robbie, you… you made spaghetti."

"With meatballs." He grins. "Like I promised."

I feel this bright ball of happiness grow inside me, and I'm afraid if it gets any bigger I might explode! But it makes me feel so whole and light, as if I could just float away. But this tiny thought nags at the back of my brain, and I need to ask.

"Robbie, how did you know I would say yes?"

He stares at me, a small smile still resting on his lips. "I didn't. I could only hope you wanted me, too."

Right. Hope. "I… I had almost given up hope that you might like me. I thought for sure you would stay with Skylar!"

Robbie picks up his fork and twists some noodles around it. "Maybe I would have, if I didn't find out why she was dating me. You should thank Jade for that."

"Jade?" I pick up my fork and do the same.

"Yeah. If she didn't lock me in a closet and set up that equipment, I don't know if I ever would have found out, or even believed anyone who told me."

"She locked you in a _closet_?!"

Robbie lets out a chuckle. "Yeah. It was pretty hard to track her down, too, to get my phone back. You should ask her about it. I'm sure she'd love to tell you how she set everything up. It's actually quite impressive."

"But Jade… she promised-"

"She promised not to physically harm Skylar or socially destroy her. Neither of which she did."

I must have looked confused, because he goes on. "She told me. Indirectly. It's kinda hard to explain. But she did keep her promise."

"I… I guess so!" I stuff the spaghetti in my mouth and start chewing. _Mmmmm!_

"Robbie, this is really _really_ good!"

He swallows his mouthful of food and looks up at me. "You really think so?"

"Mmhmm! And you know what else I think?"

"What?"

I'm beaming at him as I tell him my next words. "I think you're swell."

**A/N: Finally, they are together! Whew, that took way too long. It actually took me pretty much all day to write this chapter, because I'm sick, and the foggy brain mixed with the need to blow my nose every two seconds does not bode well for writing a story. This is pretty much the only productive thing I've done all day, but if the words aren't strewn together well, I apologize. **

**So darlings, please review. Your words of kindness are by far a better medicine than any pill! Please, I beg of you. This cold is killing me. Seriously, who gets a cold when it's 82 degrees outside? (About 28 degrees for the folks who use ****Celsius.)**


	22. Showers of Affection

Robbie POV

I should have done my laundry earlier. Or ironed, at least. After examining myself in the mirror, I do my best to smooth out the wrinkles on my shirt with my hands, but it doesn't look that much better from when I started. I let out a deep sigh and drop my hands to my side. Oh, well. This'll have to do.

Making my way downstairs I feel my pockets for my phone and keys, making sure they're there. All right, the only thing I'm missing are my keys, and I keep those by the door. Now I just have to-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The microwave timer goes off, followed by the soft clattering of dishes. That's weird. I thought I was the only one home. I peek my head into the kitchen to see my mom slurping some leftover spaghetti, all the while focused on an open file, its contents spread over the table in front of her.

"Hey, Mom. I didn't know you were home."

I stifle a laugh as she grunts and gestures to her mouth, indicating she can't talk with her mouth full. Well, she could, but I don't think even she would be able to understand herself with all that food stuffed in her face.

After a few seconds of dedicated chewing, she swallows and flashes me a smile. "Hi, sweetie. I've just been holed up in the study, organizing some items and articles for next month's issue. Even though it's technically one of my days off, I still have a lot of work to get done. Oh, and great spaghetti! Way to use your noodle to make some noodles!"

I smile and shake my head. "That was terrible," I groan.

"Well, too bad for you, because you got my sense of humor." She takes another bite, a smaller one, and continues chatting. "You went all out on the date last night, I see. Did Skylar like it?" She picks up a pen and writes a note on one of the papers, then arranges a few pictures on another page.

"Um… about that… you see… Skylar and I broke up."

There's a pause before she looks up, curious confusion written on her face.

"What happened? Wait, who was this nice meal for? Did she hurt you? When were you planning on telling me?"

I let out a small laugh. "I can tell you're not interested in this at all."

She rolls her eyes. "All right, smart aleck. But… who was the meal for if not Skylar?"

"Cat."

A smile blossoms on her face from the stern expression she was wearing before. "Cat," she repeats. "I should have known. You never lost that look when you talked about her, even if you tried to hide it."

This catches my attention. "What look?"

"Oh, you know, _that look_." She's speaking to me as if she's explaining the simplest thing in the world, but I still don't get it. "Your eyes would light up whenever you talked about her, or if she was in the room. Sometimes they'd cloud over a bit but I could still see it. It happened with Skylar, too, but with Cat your eyes would almost sparkle." She waves her pen at me. "I'm your mother. I notice these things."

"So, you're okay I switched girls so quickly?"

"Honey, what did I just say? I'm your mother. I know you're not that kind of guy. There had to have been a good reason, and I can already tell you're happier than you were a few days ago. I didn't want to say anything, but you were kind of a mess."

I shrug. "Things were a bit… difficult. But yeah." I can't help but smile. "I'm happy."

"Glad to hear it. Now I've got to keep working and you look like you're going out, but I expect to hear the whole story later about this whole Skylar situation. She's one of our best interns, but I want to know as a mom, not as her boss. Deal?"

"…Deal."

"Good. Oh, and dear, bring a jacket. It's a little on the chilly side today. It's hanging on the coatrack next to the entrance. You'll need it."

"Okay, I will."

I leave the kitchen, grab my jacket and pick up my keys from the table near the door. As soon as I open the door, I can hear my mom shout from the other room.

"Be sure to tell Cat I say hi!"

"Wait, how did you-?" And I know her answer. She's my mother. She knows these things. Is _that look_ really obvious? No one's ever pointed it out before…

"All right, I'll tell her! Bye!"

After shutting the door behind me, I hop in my car and start the drive to Cat's house. It's still so strange to think that in such an ordinary looking house, someone as fantastical as Cat lives there. I've seen her room from her videos on The Slap, but from the stories I've heard, I'm surprised her brother hasn't done anything to make their house look more weird, crazy, exciting, wonderful! More… Valentine.

I park alongside the curb in front of the house, and start to make my way up to the front door. Before I'm even halfway there, the door bursts open, slamming quickly behind the girl bounding towards me. Thank goodness my hands were free, because she practically jumps into my arms, her feet a few inches off the ground as I catch her.

"Hey Cat!"

"Hi!" She slides down as my grip loosens, and giggles as her hand slips into mine. Even though we… we kissed… and I know she likes me back… I still feel my palms get sweaty. Why am I so anxious? Even this small touch, the feel of her fingerprints warming my skin, stirs up my nerves, making my heart lunge in my chest. We've held hands before, but this is different. We're not holding hands as friends. Now, right now, we're doing this as something more.

"You never told me where you're taking me," her voice light and airy as she leads me to my car.

"Oh, well, I thought it'd be fun to surprise you."

Cat gasps loudly, her megawatt grin lighting up her entire being as she radiates excitement. "I _LOVE_ surprises!"

A laugh escapes my lips, and I didn't think it was possible, but her smile grew wider, then she quickly poked my stomach and jumped into the passenger seat. I made my way back to the driver's side, and soon we were on our way.

"Are you taking me to the movies?" Cat guessed.

"No…"

"A restaurant?"

"No…"

"SeaWorld?"

"Cat, SeaWorld is in San Diego. That's 2 hours away!"

"So we're not going to SeaWorld?"

"Even if we were, I wouldn't tell you."

"Phooey."

I peek over and can tell that she's pouting, but I can see the corners of her mouth curved into a hidden smile. She plays with the lace edges of her mint green sundress, and attempts to adjust the yellow cardigan under her seatbelt. Her restless hands find their way back to her lap, palms flat against her knees. The radio fills the silence, and I'm surprised. She usually belts out this song, or finds some story to float a conversation, but instead she distracts herself by breathing on the window and drawing little pictures in the fog.

"Look, Robbie! I drew a reindeer!"

Sure enough, she drew a reindeer, a bunch of hearts and stars, smiley faces, and a balloon. She's actually quite good. I mean, the picture she made of the cupcake float was amazing, so I shouldn't be surprised that she can draw a reindeer.

She continues to deeply exhale on the window, painting temporary pictures with her fingers on the glass, and then I hear it. Not an exhale, but another gasp. She knows where we're going.

"Robbie, you didn't-"

"Yes I did."

"You're taking me to play baby golf!"

As soon as the fog dissipates, she presses her palms against the window, staring at the windmills and castles built along the miniature golf course. After I pull into the parking lot, she jumps out of the car, then practically drags me to the counter to rent the our equipment.

"I want the pink one please!" She points excitedly to the equipment behind the counter, and after the worker hands her a pink putter and golf ball, Cat turns to me and tugs on my sleeve.

"Robbie, what color do you want?"

"I'll have green. It is my favorite color, you know."

She looks down, glancing at her dress, and a faint blush creeps onto her cheeks. And it happens again. I feel so nervous, so awkward, but I also feel this soft warmth spread under my skin, like marshmallows melting over my bones, so sticky and sweet. Every tiny gesture she makes drives me crazy, and I don't think she even realizes how much of an effect she has on me.

After the putter and golf ball are passed over the counter, I pay the rental fee, and I watch as Cat zooms ahead, racing towards the first hole, looking back and laughing as I chase after her.

"I beat you!" She raises her arms in triumph, a wry smile curving her lips.

"You never said it was a race!"

She still holds onto that smug look and says, "well next time I'll let you know, but I'll still beat you."

We play through the course, Cat giggling and bouncing in excitement for almost the entire time, only stopping to hit the ball along the green. I was surprised how good she was at angling her putts, bouncing the ball off the side bricks and rolling them over the small hills. The clouds slowly began to cover the sky, making the sky gloomy and overcast, the wind biting a little harder than it should in L.A. I really hope it doesn't rain. That would just… I don't even want to think about it. I notice Cat shivering, and she seemed to be doing her best to hide it. So I unzipped my jacket and slid it over her shoulders.

"Robbie, you don't have to do this! You'll be cold!" She tries to take it off, but I only hand it back to her.

"Nope. You wear it. If you won't wear it, I won't either."

"Robbie!..." She finally gives in, the jacket too big, too ill-fitting for her petite frame, but it only seems to make her more adorable. She sweeps the curled locks of her ruby hair forward, then hugs the material closer to herself. "…Thank you."

We continue playing, and we make it to Hole 15. I check the scorecard. She's beating me by 4 points, and there's only 3 holes left! Cat places her ball on the starting point, and as soon as she hits it, the little pink sphere rolls away, climbing uphill and just barely keeping its balance to rest on the plateau in front of us.

"Hee hee hee! Yay golf!"

I place my ball on the ground and set myself up to aim it at the hill. Okay, so I need to get it on the hill, but if I hit it too hard, it'll get roll farther down the green, maybe even hitting the bricks and rolling back down here. So I should-

"Robbie?"

I turn to see Cat staring at the sky, one hand clutching her putter, the other upturned towards the darkening clouds, puffed and clustered together like a giant blanket of gray. And then, a droplet. Another one. And another one.

"Aww, chizz." I grab Cat's hand and try to run for cover, the feather light drops pattering our shoulders, streaking down our faces. Cat's neat curls start to come undone under the rain, red hair spearing across her face messily as we try to run for cover. It's getting harder and harder to see, the water clouding my glasses, giving everything a softer edge and blurring the world into colors and vague shapes. I can't make out anything! Pretty soon my clothes are clinging to me, heavy and wet; the chill sinking to my bones, washing away the marshmallow warmth that was there not too long ago. I feel the squishiness of my sneakers as I try to blindly find shelter, but I stop. I give up.

"Cat, I-I'm sorry." The hiss of rain fills my ears as the weight of disappointment sets in, but then… she giggles.

"We're even further from the exit than we were before! Don't you know where we're going?"

"N-no. I can't see anything with my glasses like this." I drop her hand to take off my glasses and wipe them on my shirt, then realize that won't do anything since my shirt is soaked through and through. So I just stuff them in my pocket. They're not much use to me right now. Then I try to brush my hair out of my face, but it's pretty much a wet mop clinging to my head. I must look ridiculous.

There's a pause as we just stand there for a moment, and I expect her to take my hand again to lead me back to the car. But there's just a blur of red and yellow and green standing in front of me. Doing nothing.

"Hey Robbie?" Her voice is quiet, drifting to my ears. "There's something I've always wanted to do."

"What is it?"

I feel a hand brush past my cheek, arms sliding over my shoulders and linking behind my neck, pulling me in. Her lips are soft, warm, melding to mine as I breathe her in, and it fizzes in my brain and bubbles on my tongue. She tastes like vanilla and smells like rain, my hands moving to her waist, pulling her closer, eyes shut tight. I can feel my heart beat faster, rattling and pounding in my chest as it pumps the chill in my veins out of my system, from under my skin, making my nerves pop and crackle in this sudden shift. The way her lips move on mine, so slowly, so sincerely, so intimate, makes me wonder if any of this is real. But the sting of droplets lets me know it is. She breaks the kiss, my breath caught in my throat, and I can hear the smile hanging from her lips.

"I've always wanted to kiss in the rain."

Her hands slide down my chest as she drops a short kiss on my lips that makes my heart stir again, before taking my hand in hers and dancing all the way to the parking lot.

**A/N: Hey guys. If you're reading this, can I tell you how incredibly amazing you are? I mean, it's been over a month since my last update, and you haven't given up on me! So thank you. I've been all sorts of busy since finals, my job, vacationing away from internet access, and I had writer's block and zero inspiration for the longest time. I had no idea where I was going. Still don't, but I promise to update more frequently now! Except, my promises don't mean much now, do they? :P Special thanks to Sweeney7760 for the swift kick in the rear to get this story going again :)**

**And this is the part where I beg you to review, after I've cheated on you internets with real life, which I enjoy, but have found to be a bit callous. I'm on my knees, begging baby, baby, please don't leave meeee...! I feel like this is part of a song. I'll do my best not to sing off-key.**


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